Twilight Shadows
by Averan Skybane
Summary: Four years have passed since Ganondorf, the King of Darkness who had sought a way to consume Hyrule into eternal darkness was defeated by the fabled descendant of the Hero of Time. How will Zelda, now Queen and last standing member of the Hyrule monarchy fare with the ruling duties of a land besieged by an unknown foe. And what of her ties with Link, who disappeared mysteriously?
1. Prologue

**Hello everyone and welcome to my first fanfiction attempt! I hope to see this story through to the very end as a result of my summer holidays, and so I will try my best to bring to you lots of delightful Legend of Zelda awesomeness. :) Enjoy!**

**I do not own the Legend of Zelda, and all rights go to their respective owners.**

**Edit: I added a little bit to the end of the prologue to make it much more... respective, and flow more steadily into the story.**

* * *

Link desperately clutched the reins of Epona within one hand as his other held the Master Sword firmly by the hilt. Observing Ganondorf's movements, he swiftly pulled on the reins with one hand and forced Epona to respond by moving to the side, raising the Master Sword as Ganondorf closed in on his own fel steed. As the blades clash between both riders, the metallic clang echoes wildly through the fields as both riders circle away from each other, trying to gain the advantage in positioning.

Zelda furrows her brow in frustration as Ganondorf passes by Epona, the sound of metal on metal dulling her ears as she raises her bow, swiftly knocking one of her light arrows and taking aim at the dark figure of Ganondorf. Closing one of her eyes, she focuses on her target for a few seconds as Epona rears around, giving her a clearer shot as she releases the arrow from her grasp. Moments later, a flash of light emits from Ganondorf, followed by a loud howl of pain as his steedstumbles over and collapses to the ground, sending both the steed and its rider stumbling violently into the ground.

Link gently pulls on Epona's reins as he rears her towards the fallen Lord of Darkness. His hand still cautiously gripping the hilt of the Master Sword as he dismounts, his eyes remaining transfixed on Ganondorf throughout. Link dismisses the pain of his wounds as he raises the last of his potions to his lips, groaning slightlyat the taste of the sour liquor before being rejuvenated by its healing effects. Link raises his sword and draws his shield from his back, resting them both by his hips in preparation for any sudden movement from Ganondorf, allowing him to respond quickly to defend either himself, Epona or Zelda. Link noticed that Ganondorf was still resting against the tip of his blade, which was still sheathed in what seemed to be dust-wraps, and slowed his advance before coming to a stop entirely.

Link knew that Ganondorf was not likely to be worn out by such feeble combat and furrowed his browin confusion when Ganondorf burst into maddened laughter. Pressing himself against the sword, Ganondorf usesthe tip of his blade to slowly rise from the ground, gently raising the scabbard of the very blade that was meant to seal him away. Link knew that the worst part of the battle was yet to come. Link trailed a hand down to his belt, his eyes locked in a furious exchange with his nemesis as he is met with no available health potions, causing Link to frown. He growled as venomous words spewed out from the Lord of Darkness.

"An impressive-looking blade... But nothing more." Ganondorf had slowly raised the sheath of the Sword of the Sages and grasped the hilt of the blade with his dark metal gauntlet that seemed to add to his menacing appearanceLink snarled silentlyas he thought he saw Ganondorf's lips curl into the slightest grin.

"Would you hear my desire?" Ganondorf spoke as he latches his hand onto the hilt in preparation, pullingforth the Sword of the Sages from the scabbard, his grin slowly starting to consume every aspect of his face as he looked towards Link with dark, hungry eyes. Link tensed as Ganondorf started to walk forward slowly, almost tauntingly as he yelled out across the fields of Hyrule.

"To take this foul blade... And use it to blot out the light forever!" At the peak of Ganondorf's yell, lightning sounded and crashed down against the ground, almost resonating with the impurity of his intentions. Storms had devoured the very skies themselves and denied the land of any source of light from the sun, leaving the trio to watch as the apocalyptic fury of the storms started to increase in intensity and power. Link raised both his sword and shield into a defensive stance as Ganondorf drew closer, but was startled as he heard a frightful yelp from Epona, who Zelda was now struggling to control with a fearful expression as she pulled away from the barrier.

Something was wrong.

He instinctively raised his shield up to his chest in a defensive posture, only to see walls of puzzles burning into existence in a ring, forming an arena that no one could leave or enter. Link reverted his gaze back to the figure who now stood opposite him, growing ever so closer with the slow sounds of metal greaves against dirt. Zelda watching as Link prepared to fight alone, a feeling of helplessness washing over her heart. She quickly dismissed those feelings, for she knew she had to have hope that Link could do it. That Link could defeat the Dark lord himself. That Link, the last remaining barrier between Ganondorf and all of Hyrule, had no choice but to win.

Seeing the doubt in Zelda's eye caused Link to be overcome by senses of weakness, failure, and the wielder of courage himself faltered if not for a faint second in his steadfast resolve. This was all Ganondorf needed as he dived forward, releasing a blood-curdling cry as he arced the blade down vertically in front of him to try and cleave his opponent in two. He snarled as Link desperately dived out of the way, rolling against the ground and positioning himself defensively. His eyes scanned the arena. Link knew he needed to think of a plan, and quickly. Yet again the dreadful thought of Hyrule falling under the dark shadows of Ganondorf's rule plagued his heart, but this time he dismissed them and jumped forward, catching Ganondorf off guard with a war cry of his own, swinging his blade horizontally in an arc.

Ganondorf had turned and brought his blade around with a wide arc, nearly knocking the Master Sword from Link's iron grasp with the sheer force of the impact. Link jumped back from the assault, and raised his shield instinctively in response, expecting Ganondorf to attack. Ganondorf growled angrily as he proceeded to close the distance, jumping a large distance to do so as he swung the Sword of the Sages in a wide horizontal arc, aiming to strike through Link's green tunic and dismantle his opponent in one blow. However, Link had luckily managed to reach the ground before Ganondorf closed the distance, and ducked to avoid Ganondorf's strike before launching his own sword at Ganondorf's calf, frowning as he rolled away from his unsuccessful attack. Link was caught unprepared however, as Ganondorf jumped forward to catch an unsuspecting Link off-guard, slamming his sword into Link's shield and throwing Link down to the ground in a stumble.

"This is it," he thought to himself. "I'm finished... I'm done for. I've failed Hyrule when they depended on me the most." Link closed his eyes in defeat and prepared for the final blow that would end his life.

Yet it never came...

Link took this opportunity to quickly jump from the ground and enter a defensive stance, trying to calculate if he had misunderstood Ganondorf's capability. His eyes narrowed in fearas he saw Ganondorf walking towards him, a rather cocky expression on his face as he seemed to undermine Link and his very existence. Link took the initiative this time and jumped forward, swinging his blade at Ganondorf and attempting to create an opening to strike.

Ganondorf cackled violently and raised his blade, relishing in the sound of metal upon metal forcingaway the Master Sword with superior strength. He was the superior after all, he thought, for he bore the strongest of the pieces of the Triforce - the Triforce of Power. But the feeling of victory was short lived and Ganondorf's eyes widenedas he saw Link dive to the side and deliver a calculated strike to Ganondorf's only weakness, the wound that glowed violently at the core of his dark armour.

His chest.

Ganondorf yelled in a mixed contortion of anger and pain, backing away with a large leap, his deadly gaze locked directly on Link as he raised his blade in preparation, both of his dark metal gauntlets gripping the hilt.

Link had not given up his relentless assault, his only way of saving Hyrule from the dark shadow that now threatened to devour all off the land. Link had dashed forward to close the distance, and this time raised his shield and dived forward, forcing Ganondorf to take a defensive stance and swipe his blade against Link's shield, pushing Link away yet again with sheer force. Link pressed his feet against the ground as he was pushed away, and with all his strength available, he rebounded as quickly as he could and drove his blade directly against the wound that was inflicted on Ganondorf's chest, before rolling away to the side to avoid any furious responses from the Gerudo.

Link was rewarded with a howl that pierced his ear drums, and was relieved to know that he had truly found a weakness. He spared a glance through the puzzling walls that created the arena, noticing Zelda's expressionless, horrified face at the gravity of the situation and her helplessness. He would act in her place, he thought, and fight for her behalf as well as the people of Hyrule. Well... I am already doing that, he thought to himself. A smile embraced Link's lips, and brought forth a snarl from Ganondorf as he once again dashed forward, preparing to inflict another wound on his opponent.

Ganondorf attempted to dive forward and abuse his superiority in strength by swinging his blade in a horizontal arc towards Link, but Link rather easily avoided the strike by alteringcourse at the last second and rolling away. Link knew then, at that second, that he had won the fight. Ganondorf was becoming slower and slower due to the weight of the wound, and Linkthen figured that he would have to go for a killing blow before he gave the Lord of Darkness the chance to regenerate.

With his new plan in mind, Link yet again dashed forwardand provoked the same response from this time he dived to the side and as soon as his feet made contact with the ground, he dived forward with all of his strength and pressed his shield straight into Ganondorf's unsuspecting side. Launching the large Gerudo into the ground, Link earned a harsh snarl from Ganondorf as he collided with the dirt of the ground.

Link ignored the aching of his muscles as he lunged forward and brought down the Master Sword into Ganondorf's chest, straight into the wound originally made by the Sword of the Sages, and grimaced as Ganondorf let out the most horrid scream of pain he had ever heard before. It was the most horrid, menacing scream he had ever heard.

Link stepped back and left the Master Sword impaled within Ganondorf's chest, stumbling from the sheer wave of fatigue that almost consumed him. He cast a glance towards Zelda, and was relieved to see that the walls that created the Arena had faded, a trophy of his own victory, and summoned all of his strength to smile as he saw Zelda run towards him.

"Do not think this ends here..." Ganondorf growled in between ragged breaths as he struggled with the weight of his wound, surprising both Link and Zelda. "The history of light and shadow shall be written in blood-" Ganondorf was interrupted as he felt hispower fading, looking with horror to his hand that bore the mark of the Triforce of Power. As he realised what happened, Ganondorf gasped loudly.

It was fading away.

And with that, Ganondorf collapsed lifelessly to the floor.

Link turned his attention towards the large collaboration of lights that had formed in the near distance, his eyes widening as he recognised what it meant. Instantly, he burst into a sprint towards the source of the light, ignoring the fatigue that was tearing his body apart. And he saw her, in her true beauty, slowly rising from the floor.

"Am I so beautiful that you've no words left?"

And with this, Link blinked twice, before smiling wildly. Victory had come, and Hyrule and the Twilight were saved. He followed Zelda and Midnaas they consulted with each other, preparing for Midna's departure back to the realm of Twilight, contemplating with as much strength as he had left what would become of him after this huge ordeal. But for now, he would look onwards and maintain the smile and fortitude that had been stuck to his face throughout his struggles.

* * *

Midna turned away and began to walk towards the portal, having finished her talk with Zelda. She stopped momentarily as a staircase of ethereal gold conjured into existance, and turned to face the hero that had saved both her lands and Zelda's lands. Link, the descendant of the Hero of Time himself...

"Link..." Midna turned her gaze towards Link, noticing the smile that he had bore throughout his entire journey, and smiled as she realisedthat he had not changed no matter who he determination and fortitude had always brought him through all the struggles that he had to endure to save both Hyrule and the Twilight. Her heart, if for a moment, fluttered wildly as she spoke.

"I..." A single tear slowly glided down her cheek, before departing from her cheek and turning into a golden symbol of light. Midna raised her hand towards the tear, and slowly guided it with a soft flick of her wrist. As the tear embedded itself into the core of the Mirror of Twilight, Midna turned around and walked up the stairs before entering the portal and departing to her lands once again, ignoring the sound of the Mirror of Twilight violently cracking and being destroyed.

The portal of the two worlds, the only link that maintained this fragile balance had been destroyed. And she knew that she would never be able to look upon Link ever again.

But that was okay, Midna thought to herself. For she knew that she would hold her memories of Link close to her heart, and she knew that, as she had spent time and befriended Link, that his attention and admiration had been spent on another woman as much as herself. And as she embraced the darkness once more, she thought she felt what must of been jealousy.

* * *

Zelda allowed a small frown to embrace her lips before she turned to Link, who now bore an emotionless, almost perplexed face. He's struggling to deal with her loss, she thought to herself as she walked forward and tried to gain Link's attention. But nothing worked, and Link still remained there in what seemed to be a daze.

"Link..." Zelda's voice rose, and before she was able to finish her words Link slowly leaned backwards, his eyes closing as he raced towards the ground backwards. Shock and worry engulfed Zelda as she realised what had happened, her body reacting instantly as she darted to try and catch him before he could collide with the ground.

_He's fatigued from all of this fighting_, she thought to herself with a small smile, catching Link and holding his back to prevent him from collapsing onto the ground. Her eyes gently looked over his brave yet tiredform, taking note of the casual rise and fall of his chest that indicated he was still alive and breathing. The traditional green cap that Link wore all the time slowly fell from his head due to the angle he was being held, revealing his hair in full bloom.

As she saw his hair, something took control of her body as her hand steadily approached his head, and slowly began to weave its way through the depths of his hair, reveling in some unknown feeling. Her eyes widened instantly, and her cheeks turned a bright pink as she realised what she was doing, her hand almost reluctant to part with Link's locks as she pulls away.

For now she would let the hero rest, and consult with him afterwards.

Zelda smiled as she watched over Link, leaning against the ground for comfort.

"Sleep well, hero..."

* * *

**Thanks for reading, and please don't forget to R & R if you have any criticism or any comments that you would like to make. Thanks! :)**


	2. Chapter 1

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed the prologue of my very first fanfiction. You guys are all awesome in my books! Thanks a lot, you make my writing worth while.**

** Jadely: Thanks for the comments, and I am sorry for being rather bad at wording action scenes. And thanks! I admit my English is not the best at all... So I will do my best to try and catch these sort of things out. Your criticism is much appreciated my friend!**

** A Shadow's Lament: Of course I was! Those drums... Anywho, thanks for the review. It means a lot to me, you being the source of my inspiration and all (sob story mode off). Thanks again! And yes... it was a little bit of your influence if you are so curious.**

**Enjoy the fanfiction's first chapter, and don't forget to R & R! Also, I do not own the Legend of Zelda!**

* * *

As the sun rose over the kingdom of Hyrule, the land basked in the generous warmth of the light. The sun lifted the blanket of Darkness covering Castle Town, and yet the town itself was empty. Everyone was still asleep in their beds or just waking up.

The gaze of the sun had highlighted various features of Castle Town. Numerous buildings looked new, constructed by fresh stone and wood. Other buildings were a symbol of the age of Castle Town itself, and although withered and scorched, and patched with bricks that were another colour, they stood adamant as a representation of the past. The castle had undergone complete reconstruction after Ganondorf had destroyed the upper half of the building. Although it was not as large as its predecessor, the new castle was much more practical in design. Looking over Castle Town was none other than a fortress, designed in stone of pure white to give the castle an appearance of both warmth and purity. The stalwart fortress served as the symbol of Hyrule; the purity of the soul and fortitude, and warmed the hearts of Hyrule's citizens.

A cucoo started to crow in the distance several times, and slowly woke many from their travels within the realm of dreams. Rays of light radiated through the glass window of the castle, brightening the chambers. The Queen gently rose from the comfort of her bed and stifled a yawn with one of her hands, before rubbing sleep wearily from her eyes. She cast a glance at the window, looking at the rising sun curiously for a few moments before steadily approaching the window. Her eyes wandered up to the heavens above as she clasped both of her hands and held them at her chest, praying to the goddesses for _his_ safety, and whispering one last prayer, that someday, _he_ would return.

Zelda turned her head as she heard a knock at the door to her chambers, recognising the voice. "Milady, your breakfast is ready and waiting." Her handmaidens. She had realised the neccesity for appearances sake and for the jobs at the castle it created, and yet she went out of her way to be as independant as she could. She treated her handmaidens kindly and hid her frustration well. Smiling softly, she turned towards the door.

"Come in," she said.

As the door opened, her personal maid Sylvia was carrying a silver tray that was arrayed with various foods, mostly fruit and some bread. A hot steaming mug of tea was set neatly beside the food. As Sylvia walked forward and greeted the Queen, she lowered the tray ontop of the surface of an oak table, set beside a large wooden wardrobe that was pressed against the chamber walls. Behind her, several maids had entered and set about remaking the bed, fluffing the pillows carefully.

"Morning milady," she smiled. "I hope that you rest well."

"I slept fine, thank you." Zelda replied, before raising a ripe red apple and parsing her lips, biting her teeth into the red apple and starting her breakfast. She knew Sylvia was respectful and intelligent, and had enjoyed the company of the kind maid on various occasions. She indulged in her wisdom on certain matters that she felt unable to tackle alone, and valued Sylvia highly as a result.

Sylvia stepped towards the wardrobe, gently curling her hands around the wooden handles and pulling the doors open, before turning towards the Queen.

"Which dress shall it be today, milady?"

Zelda looked towards the wardrobe, her eyes scanning over each of the dresses available before making her choice. She knew the answer easily.

"As I have the pleasure of attending meetings today, I would like my usual attire." Zelda replied softly, her eyes running over the dress. It was the same style as the one she wore four years ago, when she watched as Midna said her farewell and shattered the only known portal between Hyrule and the Twilight Realm. She wondered what Midna thought of her, and how close Midna truely was with Link.

"A beautiful choice milady," Sylvia said, gently walking over towards the wardrobe and pressing through the dresses, her hands pulling forth the dress by the hanger. "It shall go well with the weather of the day. What a fine day it is," Sylvia says softly, casting a glance through the window. "Another glorious summer is to be had, it seems."

"Thank you. It is nice to see we have been blessed with such weather." Zelda allowed her gaze to linger on the dress that was held by the hanger in Sylvia's hand, remembering the day that she and Link had successfully defeated Ganondorf and saved Hyrule from Twilight. Sylvia blinked and looked down to the dress, inspecting it to see if there had been anything on it that may of caused distaste.

"Is something wrong, milady? Does it not suit your tastes?" Sylvia looked questioningly towards Zelda, who looked back towards Sylvia with a smile, shaking her head.

"It is fine, Sylvia. I am sorry, I was lost in memory for a second." Sylvia smiled in response and dressed the Queen, elaborating on the rest of the day as she did. "Milady, the council requests your attendance for a meeting in regards to the rumours of the events in the Ordona province. A member of the Ordon Village is said to be arriving after lunch, and would like to offer you a token gift to strengthen the bond between the Lanayru and Ordona provinces."

Ordon Village. Zelda knew that town all to well, and although she had never been to it personally, she had read up on it and consulted with those who had lived there. Her mind wandered back to the past as she recalled how Link had mentioned that he came from Ordon Village, and how when he was going to make a trip to Hyrule Castle to present a gift, one of his friends were captured by Bokoblins, and- "My lady?" Sylvia smiled softly, looking towards the Queen with an questioning look.

Zelda blinked once before shaking her head, returning to the present.

"I apologise. I was lost in my memories again. Please, continue." Zelda returned the smile, and Sylvia spoke on. Concern was evident on her face.

"And you have various suitors to speak with, your highness." As Sylvia finished dressing the Queen in her chosen dress, she showed Zelda to a stool next to a mirror on the wall as she started to brush her hair. Zelda stared back at herself through the mirror, noticing how Sylvia had moved on to applying subtle bits of makeup to strengthen her already beautiful appearance.

As Sylvia finished adding the makeup, she stood back and let the Queen inspect her appearance through the mirror that was held on the wall. Noticing the smile that lit the Queen's lips, Sylvia smiled back and bowed before exciting her chambers, noticing that the other maids had already finished their work and left as well.

Zelda glanced at herself one last time in the mirror, ensuring that there was not a mistake - and she trusted the maids for all these years and knew that they would not make such mistakes - and sighed, walking outside of the door and out of her chambers with her head held high.

She was instantly greeted by guards positioned at either side of the door, who saluted her as she elegantly walked out of her chambers. She recalled momentarily how easily how Hyrule had been caught off-guard by Ganondorf, and how little the military was able to do in response. When she came to rule, one of the first things she had dedicated time to was fixing up and improving the standards of the military by a large margin. She would never allow Hyrule to have to solely rely on a hero without being able to put up a fight. And quite frankly, she thought it too dangerous to leave the military of Hyrule as it was. Noticing the puzzled looks of the Guards, she smiled and bowed her head slightly before proceeding on down the hall, letting herself become lost in the thoughts of her mind as her feet lead her to her destination - the court room.

* * *

Zelda was unaware of the time that it had taken her to travel through the castle, and quite frankly, the new changes to the castle allowed her to somehow get lost once in a while. It was embarassing having to consult with maids to learn where she needed to go, but she would cast it off every single time as a mere result of Ganondorf's levering of the castle and the need for a new symbol of Hyrule. She was still engrossed within her mind, thinking of her time within the castle for the past four, boring and plain years.

She needed to have spice in her life, she thought. She needed to be free from the chains of the royal life, to be allowed to fly free and true so that she would not grow bored or tired of her work as the Queen. She thoroughly enjoyed seeing her citizens embracing happiness, and they always served as her source of inspiration when it came to doing her duties as the Queen. And yet, she still felt that she was unfulfilled. That she was not whole entirely, and sometimes she even thought that a part of herself was missing. And everytime her thought lingered to this, the Triforce would release a tingling sensation in her hand. Everytime she raised the back of her hand to look over the Triforce of Wisdom, her memories would recall to one thing.

To one person. The hero of Hyrule, Link.

**Her** hero.

She needed him back in her life, and had noticed that she was becoming far more distracted by the absence of his presence by each passing day. She had struggled sometimes to maintain a focus within the official meetings of the court, and was lucky enough not to be caught by the other officials within the room, furiously arguing about matters of urgency and of laws. Quite frankly, she worried what would happen if he never returned. He had, after all, just left without a word four years ago. He left without a trace, only to leave her wondering-

"Your majesty." Zelda was pulled back into the gravity of reality as she looked towards the door in front of her, noticing that she had stopped abruptly in the depths of her mind. Her gaze cast towards the guard to the right, who had spoke and caught her attention. She smiled softly and nodded.

Both of the guards were clad in silver mail and bore steel greaves, gauntlets, and wore a mail coif over their heads. Furthermore, the traditional royal crest was embedded within the center of their tabards. She noticed that each of the guards were holding a spear in their hands, and had a short sword sheathed at their waist. Although she wasn't able to see, she knew that they had a buckler belted to their back. After all, she consulted with their general about new additions to the army and their outfitting. She was rather pleased about the success of the changes, if she did say so herself.

The guards nodded in response as the Queen gracefully walked forward, her soft silky hands gently pulling forth on the wooden handles of the door and walking through. She took a breath inwardly and braced herself for the madness of the courtroom, and for what she believed was chaos would ensue from here on in. The officials of the court, who had been previously arguing and bickering amongst themselves (this much was made clear by the sounds hearable from outside the room) had been instantly silenced by her presence.

She noted how the torches that were placed evenly on either side of the pure white walls helped to brighten the room, her gaze lowering down to the large marble table that was firmly set in the middle of the room. The fire of the torches almost danced in reflection on the table, although this was rather hard to see as the sun was strong through the windows. Her eyes looked up towards the rest of her council. Everyone else was already within their seats. She stepped forward and gently sat down within her own seat at the end of the table, her eyes noticing the man to her right. She smiled and nodded, earning a nod back in response.

Chancellor Daelin, one of her most trusted people within the council and all of Hyrule. He was in charge of the financial aspect of Hyrule, and monitored the tax levels and the total amount of money that her kingdom had. Needless to say, he was her right-hand man in a way, for his loyalty was unquestionable. He was faithful only to her, and she valued him highly for his support in the dark times of the court. She allowed herself to briefly examine the other officials who sat upright against the backs of their chair. And then she noticed.

All eyes were expectantly on her.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the court," her voice sounded with authority over the room. If anyone had still been bickering amongst themselves, they would of been silenced completely out of fear. "As you may know, we have recieved reports from travellers through the Faron Province. They claim that they are witnessing increased sightings of Bulblins and Lizalfos."

The court instantly broke into hysteria. It had been four years after the Twilight war, and all monsters had seemingly vanished from Hyrule, leaving the country to prosper in peace for four years. Their sudden appearance had sparked fear in the hearts of some, and anger in the hearts of others. Zelda felt neutral to the issue, but was confused as to why they were suddenly returning again, and in more concentrated numbers in the same area. It was rather suspicious, she thought to herself. Her eyes settled back onto the members of the court in front of her, and she gently clasped her hands onto the marble table. It was cold to her touch, and yet offered her a strange reassurance.

"I assure you, however," her voice resonated through the room, causing all heads to turn in her direction out of curiosity, "That I have took the liberty of ensuring that all guards are doubled within the villages of all Provinces. We will not allow monsters to terrorise our citizens ever. We have kept a vigilant eye for the past four years after the hero succeeded in striking down Ganondorf. And now, we will not stop here!" She settled back into the chair, pleased with her speech as her eyes ran over each of the noble's faces. They were nodding in approval, and broke into a round of applause.

As the applause quited down, Zelda allowed herself to speak once again. "I have also tasked one of our very best divisions, the 21st Royal Lanayru Division to head south to the Ordona Province to bolster the region. I believe that would be the most logical next area of interest if any monsters were to appear. By doing so, we will be able to avoid any unwanted incidents, and can stop the sightings before they become more of an issue. The division is lead by none other than our very own General Swift. I am sure you all know that man well. Now rest assured, we will not have the deaths of citizens on our hands!"

Zelda smiled softly, enjoying the moment as the court broke into yet another round of applause. Although she recieved such attention often, to win the support of the council was a large success to her. It was success short lived however, as one of the nobles had sat himself up and opposed her. She narrowed her brow towards the man, recognising his portly features with almost pity.

"If this so called hero of yours managed to strike down Ganondorf four years ago and save us all from evil, then I believe we all have a right to know your majesty." There was a hint of malice in his voice that betrayed his questioning. She did not like where this was going. "Where exactly is this hero now? Why has he suddenly abandoned us four years ago-"

"He has **not** abandoned us!" Zelda had abruptly rose from her chair, her dress flowing softly as she had brought her hands down on the marble table. Her palms were bright red from the impact and were irritated, but she ignored this feeling. She refused to allow someone to simply insult their hero. **Her **hero. The entire council was bewildered at her sudden movement, and the portly man who had previously sat up with an air of confidence and malice was now shaking in his boots in fear. He had struck the wrong note.

"Only the goddesses know what he has been doing for the past four years, but if there is a reason he has left, then we must trust that he has done it for good reason! He would **not **suddenly betray us after having pulled us from the very depths of the abyss itself." She allowed herself to calm slightly before continuing, already risking a lot of her reputation with the nobles in the process. "If anything, we should be patient for signs of his return. Besides, if darkness is rising once more, then he will return. And with the Blade of Evil's Bane by his side, he shall smite down the darkness before it rises once more."

Zelda watched with a bemused look on her lips as the noble sat down in his chair in defeat, his hands gripping the wooden chairs arms in support of his shaking figure. She did not expect the entire council to burst into another, much louder round of applause though, and surprise took over her expressions for a few moments before she regained control.

The council approved of the hero, and believed in him after all. This was more than enough to reassure her that any issues in regards to Link would be easy footing from now on. A small smile took to her lips in victory. Her hands gently folded over as she calmly rubbed her palms, soothing the irritation. She had finally managed to deal with one of the most pressing issues that had plagued the council room for years.

"Now that we have finished discussions of such creatures, we shall turn our attention to other important matters of the state. Namely, said technological advances. If you would please, Councillor Theomont, present to us the reports that you have prepared in advance?" All eyes expectantly turned towards the well-dressed man, who looked to be in his early thirties. A smile braced his lips as he stood up, holding a folder of papers carefully in his grasp.

* * *

Zelda nodded towards various of the officials, exchanging brief pleasantries and shaking hands as they departed from the court room. It had been a long day at court, with many hours spent debating important topics. She was still proud of her victory though, but she knew she would be late for lunch. As the last official left the room, she allowed herself to sigh, relaxing after holding such a tense posture for the past hours. She walked out of the door and smiled towards the guards, who stood vigilant in defense of the castle.

Before Zelda could proceed to make her way back to her chambers, she noticed a figure walking towards her at a fast pace. It was Sylvia. And she seemed to be carrying some sort of letter with both hands. Zelda smiled softly and walked forward, meeting Sylvia within the open corridor of the castle.

"Milady," Sylvia smiled, pressing forth the letter patiently. Zelda gently took the letter and scanned over the front. It was from Mayor Bo, of Ordon Village. Zelda looked back up to Sylvia expectantly, who had a frown on her face.

"I have heard word that their gift shall be delayed for a week, as unusual events are occuring in the Ordona Province. Such rumours are in abundance only this day, your majesty." Zelda knew it. There was something going on, and she was willing to tie it in with the recent occurance of those monsters. She was glad that she sent one of her best divisions in preparation, and now hoped that they arrived in time so that all of her efforts were not in vain.

"Thank you for delivering this to me. I shall read it when I have time in the afternoon." Zelda smiled, earning one in response from Sylvia before she proceeded down the corridors and found her way back to the haven that was her chambers.

* * *

**Phew, that was lengthy... Expect this to be the average length of the chapters! I hope you enjoyed this, and please don't forget to leave some criticism! It really does help me improve my writing skills and try to deliver a better story. Yet again, you guys are awesome! Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 2

**I apologise for the delay in updating the story, but I want to let you know that I have absolutely not abandoned this fanfic, and I intend to see it through to the end. You can expect regular updates every week. Thank you for your continued support! Virtual cookies for all. Nomnom...**

** A Shadow's Lament: Thank you for being my major source of inspiration (and energy ;D)! I appreciate your words. Sylvia could arguably be a replacement for the absence of Impa in a way, if you look at it like that. **

** Reyser: Just my speculations at the storyline in Twilight Princess. Fear not, this fanfic is 100% Zelink (I wouldn't have it any other way). And yeah, they make for good drama. As long as Zelda and Link get together! Thank you so much, I appreciate your words.**

** Kittygirl57, WolfenAmphithere, Sentinel07 and Fikikitty; thank you for all of your continued support and I hope you like the updates!**

* * *

_Link stood directly on top of the symbol of the Triforce embedded into the ground. Although withered, the symbol seemed to have withstood the tests of time and illuminated softly in response to the presence of the Triforce of Courage. His eyes cast to either side, taking in the stone guardians that stood erect at either side of the doorway. He halted as he started to recall his encounter with the Sacred Grove, and the trials he had to endure to wield the Blade of Evil's Bane and rid himself of Zant's curse._

_Link shook his head softly, his golden locks swaying gently from side to side - which was aided by the gentle warm breeze that flowed through the land - and stared directly at the doorway. Taking a deep breath, he walked forward and through the door and embraced the shadows of the hall. Feelings of nostalgia threatened to freeze the Hero of Twilight, but purpose guided him along his way as he approached a staircase. Looking up the staircase, he noticed that it lead into a grove, and he knew it was here that he must finish his quest. With his eyes set on his goal, he ascended the staircase and entered the grove._

_He allowed a small smile to take his lips as he noticed the pedestal of time, set down on the ground in the middle of the grove. Memories of his withdrawal of the Master Sword flooded his mind and sent him into chaos, but he quickly recovered his trail of thoughts and slowly walked towards the pedestal. It would only take a few seconds to reach it, but those few seconds felt like days to him as he wrestled with the weight of the decision he was about to make. His foot collided softly with the pedestal and sounded a small thud, stopping his entire body and once again returning him back to reality._

_Raising his hand behind his back, he pulled forth the Master Sword from its sheath that was strapped to his back, and gently raised it to the sky. Although it was facing the sky, the blade itself was facing downwards like a grave marker, sounding the end of yet another Hero. With a large breath, Link closed his eyes and brought down the Master Sword back into where it came from at his most desperate hour. Turning away from the pedestal, he slowly made his way back through the Sacred Grove and made his departure. _

_He felt like he had lost a part of himself when he sealed the Master Sword away, for he had become so accustomed to the weight and feel of the blade. He felt like he had sealed away the one thing that truely linked him to his destiny, that one thing that would serve as a reminder for all that he accomplished and of all the people he met on his journeys. It felt like he was sealing all of them away, never to say hello or never to recall of their existance as he would depart from Hyrule._

_A tear slowly made its way down its cheek before falling off and onto the ground._

_He was leaving __**her**__._

* * *

The campfire's flames danced wildly against the green tent that had been pitched up during the night, surrounded by the trees and wildlife that existed and thrived throughout the mountains within the Ordona Province. The atmosphere was peaceful, with only the sound of small animals scurrying about for food, and yet the man sat at the entrance of his tent was grumbling and shaking.

He was being pulled from his dreams.

Link's eyes shot open, taking in his surroundings as his hand darted to his waist, searching for the sword that was sheathed at his belt. His hand made contact with the cloth of the sheath as he realised he was in no imminent danger. Lowering his hand back to his lap, his focus returned to the campfire that had showed him to his dreams hours ago.

After all these years, he was still remembering Zelda, and dread started to fill his heart as he contemplated the topic that he feared most. What if she didn't like him anymore, what if she hated him for abandoning her and Hyrule. He did not know what to make of the subject, like all of the times he had recalled her name and her image, and wrestled to dismiss it. Before long, he was able to calm himself down, but his ability to sleep had been deprived.

Sighing, Link pressed himself up from the ground with his hand, wiping the dirt from the ground off on his rugged trousers that came with the Hero's traditional clothes. He glanced around to ensure that he was not in any danger, and hesitatingly turned his back and set to work taking the tent down and packing it up. He had grown accustomed to this rough lifestyle of travelling; bartering with merchants for food and other supplies, and trading stories of his adventures with other folk at various bars. Ironically, he himself never found a liking to alcohol, and often retired to more common drinks, which greatly confused the barmen. But in a land recovering from a war, patrionage is the one important thing that drives them.

After packing everything up and putting them into his backpack, he reached for a leather flask of water that was dangling from his belt and put the fire out, leaving no trail for anyone to follow. He placed the flask back at his belt before hoisting the backpack over his shoulders and onto his back, his face expressionless and yet his mind so contested. He retrieved a map of Hyrule from the contents of his leather pouch at his belt, his eyes scanning the map for his current position and his destination for supplies. Nodding to himself, he rolled up the scroll and placed it back into the pouch before setting off.

At first, the mountains had been rather friendly to Link, and he had no problems traversing the terrain and avoiding any hostile creatures that may block his way. He knew he was a strong swordsman and had a lot of physical power, but he still wanted to avoid any combat with wild dangerous animals. His eyes adventured to any sight that offered him peace from his mind, a sanctuary turned prison that locked him in an eternal struggle with his love for Zelda and what she thought of his actions. The mere thought of her was more than enough to turn his stomache upside down. He quickly pressed his boots against the ground and jumped forward over a log on the ground, landing with a faint thud on the ground over the log and continued on.

It took him time to notice it, but he noticed that the land was starting to flatten out, and he had been descending during the period of his travels into the Ordona Province. He could feel the change in the atmosphere, and before he knew it, he found himself within the outskirts of the woodland within Ordona. He knew that he was painfully close to home. However, he was not here to reunite with those he considered to be his family, but was here to simply refresh on supplies before he headed north-bound back into Faron Province. He discarded the thoughts and pressed on.

His eyes instantly noticed the flickering of flames against the dense bark of a tree - for his quest to save Hyrule from the Twilight had beneficted him with hightened senses from experience - and halted abruptly. He reached for his sword and silently closed in, leaning against the side of a tree and peering to the side. He narrowed his brow as he saw a poorly constructed campfire and a mob of Boblins. He was unsure as to why they were here in such abundance, as he had took time to count and noticed that at least twenty Bublins were accounted for. However, his trail of thought was disturbed when he noticed two bodies that lay down on the floor.

The bodies were caked in mud and blood, with one of them having a spear protruding through his shoulder. Link's eyes widened in alarm as he recognised the insignia on the tabard of one of the bodies which had been facing to the sky, the campfire causing parts of his savagely defigured face to be highlighted. It was the Triforce, and he instantly recognised the fallen bodies as being members of the Hyrule army. Link closed his eyes and looked away. His breathing remained calm, and yet his mind was confused as to what Bulblins were doing so far close to civilisation, and what exactly two Hyrule soldiers were doing as casualties. He was disturbed when he heard the sound of a hiss, recognising instantly that the only creature that could make such a sound was a Lizalfos. He opened his eyes hesitatingly and looked back to the camp fire, his eyes widening that he saw atleast three or four Lizalfos present.

And then it hit him.

He turned around instantly and pressed himself away from the tree, making sure as to not cause noise that would alert the Bulblins of his presence, and slowly started to sneak away from the encampment. As soon as he was a considerable distance away from the Bulblins, link reached for the hood of his faded brown cape and lifted it over his head, raising either sides of the cape to cover his body so that no one could distinguish the fact that he was wearing - however poor in condition - the Hero's clothes. He darted across the forest and allowed his memory to lead the way to the Sacred Grove where he had stored away the Blade of Evil's Bane, his trusted blade.

He knew a new evil was on the horizon, one that was strong enough to command the unification of such vile monsters, and so he would need to call upon the strength of the Master Sword and come to Hyrule's aid once more. His thoughts overwhelmed his senses as his body dragged him across the dense woodland, his feet seemingly guiding him to the Sacred Grove. He had to hurry if he was going to be able to reach Ordon Village in time.

* * *

Link darted past trees and side-stepped past animals, ducked under branches and jumped over logs. It was tedious work usually, especially with the pace that he was going, but his devotion once again shined through, and he seemed almost immune to fatigue as he darted to and fro through the lush forest. Link knew that regardless of what happened here on in, he would need a new change of boots.

He quickly came to a stop above the faded symbol of the Triforce embedded within the ground, his hands falling to his knees to support him as he took in deep ragged breaths, his temporary immunity giving way to great fatigue. After a few minutes of deep breathing, he raised his head and stood tall and proud. The Triforce symbol below him seemed to hum in approval as he stepped forward and through the doorway, casting a glance at either of the giant statue guards.

He knew the very sight was nostalgic, and although four years had passed, it seemed as if the powers of time held no control over the Sacred Grove. As he reached and ascended the staircase, memories of when he sealed away the Master Sword flooded through his mind. How ironic, he thought to himself as he stepped into the open grove. His eyes settled on the sword embedded face down like a grave marker into the Pedestal of Time.

It was not yet the end for the destiny of the Hero of Twilight. With this thought in mind, Link clasped the handle of the Master Sword, gripping it strongly as he pulled up with all his might. With a slight shimer, the Master Sword was hoisted up from its resting place. Link gently span the blade half of a full circle, wielding the blade like the traditional knights of old. Raising the blade Skyward, a smile crept onto his lips as he noticed the blade hum silently in the sun. After admiring his lost companion, he lowered the sword to his hip and started to think.

Openly wielding the Master Sword would surely reveal his identity, he thought, gently bringing down his backpack as he allowed it to slide down his shoulder and onto the ground. His hands dived straight into the backpack and moved here and there, feeling for that spare sheath that he had kept from his journey in Holodrum. He felt a familiar material against his finger tips, and groped about to find it before pulling it forth from the depths of the abyss. Surely enough, the plain metal sheath that glowed a dull gray in the sunlight appeared within his hands. He smiled as he sheathed the Master Sword, noticing that such a sheath was unfit to bear the legendary blade, and swore to invest in or find old blade.

Link turned around to face the exit, a content smile now beaming on his lips as he strove forward through the door and past the guardians. There was an air of satisfaction about him, as if he had been united with a long lost part of him and finally made whole once more. With this, he pulled forth his long dull brown cape over his head and around his body, making him a concealed person like that of the rangers.

It has been four years, and he was finally going home. As the sunlight beamed down upon the forest, he could not help but smile yet again. He felt great.

* * *

As he proceeded through the forest, the map clenched between both of his hands, his eyes scanned the map and then looked about. He reassured himself that he was going the right way, although part of him - his instincts mainly - seemed to know that they were going the right way. He decided to confide in the wisdom of instinct, and walked forward through the forest.

Yet he knew something was not right. The atmosphere felt strange, like something had changed in the past hour or so when he had left for the Sacred Grove, and it made him uneasy the more he thought about it. He lowered the scroll and rolled it up, putting it away within his leather pouch before reaching forth cautiously to his sheath at his hip. He did not want to be caught off-guard, and could not risk unsheathing the Master Sword from his back.

His instincts proved to be right as he heard the faint sound of voices in the distance. His ears twitched slightly as they tried to focus on the sound, ignoring the sound of his footsteps as he approached carefully towards the source of the sound. Pressing his back against a nearby tree, he silently drew his dagger and held it to his side, peering over the side of the tree.

"James, stand fast!" A man with jet black hair called out to one of the five soldiers, raising his sword and shield and entering a defensive stance against the Bulblins - whom Link thought to be the same Bulblins he encountered at the camp - that opposed him. Link recognised that he was dressed in the standard uniform of the Hyrule army as a result of the Triforce that was embedded within his tabard. As soon as the soldier saw one of the Boblins step forth and challenge him, he shot forward and swung his blade out towards the monster, catching the Bulblin at its hip before jumping back and retreating behind his shield. The Bulblin's counter attack was reflected as the mace bounced off the wooden buckler, leaving a dent in the shield. He jumped forward and ran the Bulblin through with his blade before the creature had a chance to respond, pulling forth his blood-stained blade and retreating to his allies. He ran a hand against his forehead, wiping away the sweat from his tanned skin. He cast a desperate glance behind him to his four other allies.

"James, I need you up front!" He called out as he ducked to avoid the mace that was aimed at his chest from one of the Bulblins that had stepped forth.

"I'm here, Fendrel!" Responded a man with blonde hair, kicking the spear in frustration that was stuck in the ground before joining his fellow soldier and drawing his sword and shield. He cast a glance at one of the assailing Bulblins, wincing as he took in its features. The Bulblin let out a battle-cry in the form of a shriek and swung its mace violently at the man known as James, who struggled to defend himself as he hid behind his buckler, recieving various dents. Sweat dripped from his skin, which paled in comparison to Fendrel. James snarled and ducked to avoid the on-coming mace before thrusting his blade forward and striking the Bulblin at the chest, pulling it out and kicking the Bulblin away. He watched as the creature fell lifelessly to the floor.

"Good job, brother!" Fendrel called, smiling nervously as he raised his hand - the buckler strapped to his arm - and rubbed his forehead again, his jet black hair being disturbed by the movement of his hand. He returned his attention to the new challenging Bulblins and raised his sword and shield defensively. "Don't let them through!" He yelled, standing his ground and swinging his blade, which was deflected by the mace carelessly.

Just as he was about to take another swing, Fendrel's blood ran cold after he heard the blood-curdling cry of one of his own. He cast a glance behind him to see one of the soldiers fall down to their knees, their hands losing grip of their shoulder and shield. Their face had been disfigured by a direct strike from a mace. He turned his attention back to the on-coming assailants. He knew this was war, and he wouldn't let anyone else die. He raised his buckler to deflect an on-coming strike from the mace before backing away from the Bulblins, his brother James following in pursuit. They were being cornered and surrounded.

"Lads, keep yer' attention up front n' don't waver!" Said one of the soldiers who watched as his ally fell to the ground lifelessly. His chestnut hair did nothing to conceal his aged and worn features, signs of a veteran of war in their own right - alongside the scar on his cheek - as he jumped forward and slammed his buckler relentlessly into the Bulblin, following it up with a upper-cut with his blade. He slashed the chest of the Bulblin as a result, watching with satisfaction as the creature fell to the ground. He turned his attention to the sound of a cry, and saw one of the soldiers fall to the ground and grip their arm, with the Bulblin about to strike again. He darted forward and rammed his buckler so hard that a dent was left in it, succeeding in knocking away the mace entirely from the Bulblins grasp. He stood defiant as the Bulblin backed up and ran away.

"Thanks... Olaf." Groaned the soldier, gripping his arm and tightening his grip around the sword. Only three soldiers now remained, as the skirmish had taken its toll on one of the soldiers.

Link tightened his grip on the knife, fighting the urge to dive out and help them. He had never felt so helpless before, and the Master Sword seemed to call for him to deal with the Bulblins. He knew though that it would be suicide if he attempted without the blade, and he would be revealing himself if he didn't. His internal conflict continued as he watched the soldiers stand valiantly against the Bulblins, who were now forming a circle as their numbers decreased.

"Lieutenant!" Fendrel shouted towards Olaf in disarray, blocking another on-coming attack and ducking to avoid a swing from another Bulblin. They were being overrun.

"Careful lad!" Olaf quickly jumped forward and slashed at the Bulblin's arm, causing it to drop its mace and run away in pain. He quickly turned around and managed to raise his buckler, blocking another strike from the Bulblins encroaching from behind. His buckler was getting a good collection of dents.

"Aythen, ye' better back up n' get behind 'em!" Olaf called to the injured soldier who nodded their head in agreement, slowly backing up after swinging wildly at one of the Bulblin. His move did nothing but irritate one of the Bulblins, who screamed a disgusting war-cry and charged Olaf, slamming his mace so hard into the buckler that it not only recieved a dent. It shattered.

Olaf collided with Fendrel's back, knocking his balance temporary and preventing Fendrel from pushing forward and giving them space. As the Bulblin was about to finish off Olaf, who attempted to swing his sword up weakly to ward the creature away, Link darted out of his cover and jumped up to the creature, slamming the knife into the Bulblin's neck, bringing it to the ground before he took the mace. His eyes scanned over the skirmish, and to the startled Bulblin's who just saw an adventurer doning a brown coat dart past them. He gripped the mace and cast a glance towards Olaf, who nodded in thanks.

"Thanks lad! Keep on focusin' boys, we 'ave em!" Olaf yelled encouragingly, a small tired smile taking his face as he raised his sword and slashed at one of the Bulblins trying to close in from behind. Link followed through and slammed his mace into the Bulblin, damaging its head and causing the Bulblin to fall to the ground. He quickly ducked to avoid an on-coming attack and with agile speed he darted forward, swinging the mace into the chest of the Bulblin and sending it back. He watched briefly as the Bulblin got up, stared at him for a few seconds and then ran away, before turning back and joining the fray.

Behind Link, he could hear James and Fendrel's war cries clearly as they gradually pushed the enemy back. A worn smile took to his lips as he side-stepped a Bulblin and brought his mace into the creature's chest, winding it before finally slamming the mace full-force behind the head. He turned to see a surprised face on Olaf, smirking softly at his expression. Olaf merely returned a smile, before turning to hear where the recent cries were coming from.

All around them the remaining Bulblins had scattered and fled in any possible direction. As soon as he saw this, Link relaxed slightly, yet maintained a firm grip on his mace. His eyes met with Olaf, who nodded before a bright smile took to his lips. Although fatigue was heavy on all of them, the veteran seemed to smile brightly. Link couldn't help but smile back, although weakly.

"Well done lad! Well fought!" Olaf walked over and clasped Link on the shoulder, shaking him firmly yet approvingly. Link simply winced at the gesture and nodded. Fendrel and James were talking to the injured soldier and trying to tend to his wound.

"You came in good time! If it weren't fer' you, I think we would o' tasted the dirt by now!" Olaf smirked and looked towards Link.

"The name's Lieutenant Olaf o' the 21st Royal Lanayru Division." The words Lanayru instantly unsettled Link. Lanayru province was the seat of Hyrule itself, with Castle Town and Hyrule Castle. Additionally, it was the name commonly associated with Zelda when it came to court debates, he had heard. Could this mean that they have a form of tie with Zelda, he thought to himself. The very thought made him uncomfortable.

"We are here on her majesty's request ta' bolster all the defences o' the villages. The division was ordered to personally defend Ordon Village! Strange things 'ave been going on around here, and ye' gonna find no greater general than General Swift!" At the mention of 'her majesty', Link instantly froze. His body tensed as thoughts slowly flowed through his mind, tormenting him. Zelda was the Queen of Hyrule. Well, of course she would be the queen he thought, for she was the only remaining member of the monarchy. Yet Link felt like another mountain had been placed between him and Zelda, and he contemplated for a moment if he would ever be able to unite with Zelda. The thought made him depressed, yet he-

"Lad?" Olaf's voice brought him back to reality. Link gently shook his head, his blonde locks swaying softly in the gentle breeze. Wait, locks. Link didn't have his hood on. His gaze darted down to his body, and a wave of relief crashed down upon him when he realised that he still had the faded brown cape, yet his hood had fell down as he had darted from the trees most likely.

"What's ye' name?" Olaf smiled slightly at Link, who smiled back. "The name's Li- I mean... Ayleth. The name's Ayleth. It's a pleasure." That's right, he thought. He cannot let anyone know of his identity, his name will be a sure give away. And it's not like they don't already have their suspicions of his identity. His guess was made clear as Olaf raised an eyebrow, nodding slowly.

"Ah, good name. So, Ayleth. What brings ye' to these parts after ye' stumbled in an' saved us." Link gave him a slightly uncomfortable look, yet Olaf remained oblivious. Link sighed softly and dropped the mace, folding his arms at his chest.

"I came here to stock up on supplies at Ordon Village," Link nodded and gestured in a random direction. He could care less where the way was to be honest. "I am heading north-bound into Faron Province afterwards." Link concluded his story and smiled. Olaf seemed suspicious, but soon nodded.

"Alright! Yer' headin' to Ordon Village then? Ye' wanna come along with us?" By now, both Fendrel, James and Aythen were looking at Link curiously.

Link pondered for a moment before nodding.

"I have a question though," Link asked, earning Olaf's attention.

"Do you have a flask of water?" Link grinned.

**I think this may be my poorest chapter to date, but I managed to overcome my writing block with the battle and will endeavor to make sure I am producing better quality chapters from now on! Expect chapter four to be a lot better than this (I hope). Thank you for your continued support, and I hope the added length was more than enough to make up for the wait! Also, please don't forget to R & R.  
**


	4. Chapter 3

**I am intending to keep up with a few chapter updates each week, so expect more updates regularily with improving quality each time!**

** A Shadow's Lament: Says the one who inspired everything and still does. You are too modest! I appreciate your comments and I like to bring life to (or attempt to) the surroundings most of the time, but I could never truly capture it this time round. Well... It is a Adventure/Romance, and I would personally slap Link if he didn't think about her.**

** Reyser Thanks! I appreciate the comments, and I like to try and capture a sense of realism in the fights, while keeping Link's skills from his adventures and the game. The thoughts of Link killing everything with a knife... Oh lord. It probably would be easy. Well, I don't think TP is the sort of pure romance aspect (but people prove me wrong) so, yeah. And thanks again!**

** Minaly Have a virtual cookie. That review as awesome. Seriously, nothing to be said!**

** Quick Realism plays a huge hand, and this is not some sort of stealth fanfiction so fear not! :D  
**

* * *

_The sun rose over Hyrule, signaling the start of the fifth day after the kingdom had proved victorious against the King of Shadows, Zant, and the invasion of the Twilight. With the restoration of peace, neverending celebrations took the streets by storm for what was nearly approaching a week, and showed no signs of stopping. The festities would once again soon begin, and people would rise happily in the early hours of the morning._

_Various architects and builders stood in a circle, carefully observing the construction of the stalwart fortress that would serve as Hyrule's new castle. A man who firmly held the clipboard by his chest was barking orders left right and center, and the builders complied with elated spirits. The festivals were truly capturing the heart of every Hyrule citizen, motivating them regardless of their social standings._

_Behind the mob that surrounded the construction stood the Princess of Hyrule, Zelda, who was soon to become the Queen of Hyrule at the coronation in a week's time. Her faint locks seemed to radiate in the sun light as she rose a hand and pressed them out of view. She was smiling as she gently flipped a page within the tome that she held carefully, her eyes happily moving through the page at her own fast pace._

_"Zelda!" The soft voice of one of her maids caught her attention, and she turned around to the direction of the voice, her dress swaying softly at her feet with the gentle breeze._

_"Ah, Sylvia!" She smiled happily as she shut the tome and pressed it to her chest. She noticed Sylvia nervously clutch the sides of her skirt as she curtsied to the princess, and wondered why she was so nervous, but left that question for later. Zelda furrowed her brows as she realised the absence of someone else she had called for._

_"Where is Link?" Sylvia seemed to wince at the sound of her name, and Zelda's smile faded entirely, replaced by a look of uncertainty and alarm across her face._

_"What's happened? Where is he!" Zelda fought back the urge to grip Sylvia by her shoulders and shake her frantically. She noticed that Sylvia seemed to frown, her eyes always set on a patch beside her and never directly noting her princess. This confused Zelda even more, and worry started to stain her heart._

_"Look at me," Sylvia's frown seemed to grow as she slowly rose her head, her brunette locks almost concealing her green eyes as she looked towards Zelda. She wasn't usually like this, Zelda thought, and remembered how the maid had always seemed to have a happy expression, regardless of the weather or the news she bears. Why now of al times that she chose to show uncertainty baffled Zelda._

_"What is wrong?" Her words seem to shake Sylvia to the core as she shivered. However, the breeze was gentle and warm, and the sun light was strong on Hyrule. Zelda started to fear that something had happened to Link._

_"H-H-He... He-" Sylvia seemed to stutter, another unusual action that had never took the maid during their previous encounters. Irritation took control of Zelda for a slight moment as she looked towards Sylvia directly, her eyes resonating with anger and concern._

"Where is he?" Her voice was cold and commanding, drawing from Sylvia a fearful look as she stared into Zelda's eyes, her legs starting to tremble at the sudden change of the Princess's personality.

_"He has left, princess." Sylvia spoke softly, her voice threatening to break at any moment from the strain that her words carried. Zelda face became greatly pale and devoid of any expression, and Sylvia attempted to curtsie before walking down the path back into Castle Town._

_He had left. He, her brave knight who tore through the darkness without fear, and brought down both Ganondorf and Zant. The one who she secretly admired and loved. She had heard the words that she had never wanted to hear in her life._

_He had __**left**__._

_At that moment, Zelda felt unbelievable strain settle on her shoulders, and she desperately fought back the urge to just fall to her knees and wrap her arms around herself, letting lose all of the confused emotion that was building up inside her. Her eyes darted to either side, before she gripped the hem of her dress and ran to the cover of one of her favourite trees, where she used to come and sit down and read when she was young. _

_Her foot steps and sudden actions shook the politicians, who called out her name in confusion and worry as they took after her. They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Sylvia - who had stopped at the gate to Castle Town and saw Zelda's reaction - cast them a deadly glare and follow their princess. They confusedly complied and returned to their conversations._

_As soon as Zelda's feet came to a halt under the shade of the tree, her resolve faltered and tears came flooding from her eyes. She broke down to her knees and leaned against the base of the tree for any type of comfort, however cold or barren it was. Her arms were wrapped softly around her chest, and her cold hands were gripping her arms as she struggled to fight back the emotions that were causing her so much pain and suffering._

_"Zelda...?" She softly raised her hand and wiped away what tears she could, her cheeks having been practically covered by her emotion. She reluctantly raised her head and peered through her tear-ridden eyes, struggling to make out the figure that stood before her out of the blurry haze._

_"Zelda." The voice broke through her head and seemed to bring her crashing back to reality. It was Sylvia, the maiden who had brought her the news that was the bane of her existance._

_"S-Sylvia," Zelda struggled to speak as her voice was torn asunder by sobs. She was unable to think properly as mixed feelings of anger, confusion and sadness were clouding her usually clear mind. She had no where to go, no one to confide with, and no one to wipe away her tears._

_She was __**alone**__._

_"It's okay, Zelda," Sylvia whispered to Zelda, her usual warm and gentle smile taking her lips as she extended both of her arms to the princess, offering her the embrace she needed._

_Zelda practically threw herself into Sylvia's arms, who gasped at her princess's reaction before she slowly started to comfort the princess, running her hand through her thick locks. She had never seen the Princess show any signs of depression, and this sudden outburst had took her by surprise. She understood the pain though. Her heart did. For she suffered the same thing only a year ago. _

_"It will be alright, Zelda. I am sure he will return." Those words seemed to clear the mist from Zelda's mind, who slowly but surely stopped her emotion from taking over her._

_Those words were to become the driving force behind Zelda's resolve, words that she would never forget. And in times of struggle, she would repeat those words to herself and come to terms with the situation that haunted her._

* * *

"Zelda." The voice startled her and brought her hurling back into the world. Her eyes shot open and she instantly rose to her head, looking around for the person who spoke. What if someone saw her? She had spent four years trying to restore the faith of Hyrule's citizens in the government and in her capabilities, and any foul rumours would surely tarnish her reputation and ruin her work.

"It's okay, there's no need to panic." She breathed a sigh of relief as she recognised Sylvia - who was standing in front of her oak desk that was littered with books, tomes and both signed and unsigned paper and a bottle of ink - with a reassuring smile on her face. Before she could help it, her lips soom formed a smile in response. It was the Sylvia effect, she thought to herself childlishly, and a small giggle broke from her lips.

Sylvia simply smiled as she lowered the tray on the only available space on the desk, taking in the paper work that was littered into groups. She reached for the tea pot that rest in the middle of the tray and gently poured it into the cup to the side. As she watched the steam rise from the cup, she lowered the pot down and poured in some milk into the tea. Over the years, she had grown to know Zelda in many ways, especially her tastes. She leaned the pot of milk back after she felt it was right, and carefully placed the cup of tea in front of Zelda, who thanked her before delicately cupping her fingers around the cup and raising it to her lips, giving it a soft blow.

"It's just like you to be residing in the study, your majesty. I see you are hard at work with requests from the council?" Zelda smirked and nodded, lowering the cup to the desk and noticing the whirls in the design.

"I am, yes, and fell asleep only a few minutes ago. I was recalling a certain dream..." Her eyes narrowed as she remembered it as if it was yesterday.

"Ah, that dream?" Sylvia's eyes became full of concern. It was just like her, Zelda thought, and she waved it off with a smile of her own.

"I am alright, Sylvia. I have grown use to it over the years. I would not succeed as a Queen if I had not learned to deal with my own internal conflict." The words brought forth a brighter smile from Sylvia, who simply bowed and looked around.

"I still don't see how you would be so use to a crowded room such as this, your majesty." Her hand gestured to the rows of bookcases that filled the room, the wooden cases illuminated by the sun shining through the glass window. A few torches were spread out across the pale white walls. Zelda leaned back against the wooden chair and set her eyes on Sylvua once more.

"I am use to this room, as it brings me much comfort to be able to relax without having those politicans screech at me with their endless worries. I have always proven them wrong and dealth with their issues, and yet some of them still doubt my capabilities. It was rather unnerving."

"Then you may do well to personally deal with said politicans, your majesty. It seems they may need reason that they can both see and believe." Sylvia smirked softly at her comment.

"Indeed. I will deal with the court later on, we have a meeting in..." Zelda's leaned forward and peered towards the clock perched atop the door, reading the time, "Roughly fifty minutes." With that she leaned back into the chair, returning to the works of her desk. Her fingers swiftly reached for the stamp to her left and pressed it firmly against the parchment. The large red sign read 'REJECTED'.

"I will leave you to your work, your majesty. Please ensure that the tea is not cold when I return." A small smile touched Zelda's lips as Sylvia bowed and exited through the door, closing it softly. It was only then that Zelda noticed Sylvia had left a letter on the side of the table. She reached for the letter and looked at it, raising her brow when she noticed it was from General Swift.

_Your majesty, I bring you news of our findings _

_in the Ordona Province. We have had repeated_

_skirmishes with creatures such as the Bulblins,_

_but have yet to face a real threat. I believe it is_

_suffice to say that we may make a return that_

_is earlier than previously scheduled. We look to_

_ride out in precisely two days time._

The letter was ended rather abruptly, she thought. This was symbolised by the unique signature that was always interesting to try and make out. Some might think it was another person altogether by how unique General Swift signed his papers. Regardless, she had appointed him as the General based on his success and his strategic prowess, not on his letter-writing skills. She smirked softly at her thoughts as she placed the letter to her side, taking another sip of her tea.

She would have to consult with General Swift later on about where they should send the divison, as it is no doubt that they should make better use of their soldiers than to have them idly sit about and do nothing while her kingdom may be threatened by some force that has yet to truly reveal itself. She glanced at the clock and leaned forward. She cursed the clock silently for being so far away.

Twenty minutes had passed since Sylvia had left, and Zelda decided it was time that she depart for court. It often took her a while to make her way to the court as the castle was large and mainly unfamiliar to her. She reached for a group of parchments settled at the centre of the desk, and clasped her hands around it and raised it to her chest. She rose from the desk and headed for the door.

I'll have to talk about our current economical state, she thought to herself as she proceeded out of the door, smiling at both of the guards who saluted her.

That, and the current threat that is plaguing Hyrule.

* * *

During the travel to Ordon Village, Link was avoiding contact and communication with the other members of the group. The only person who he found himself talking to - and strangely found a sense of comfort alongside - was Olaf. He was the man who managed to rally the soldiers together in their times of desperation and beat back the Bulblins. Link could sense an air of confidence and skill about Olaf, and he praised him silently for that. Olaf also seemed to respect his privacy, and more to his pleasure did not suspect him of being the Hero of Twilight.

However, the General of the Hyrule Army may be the very problem he had wanted to avoid. It was only made worse by the fact that that very General was stationed in the village he was going to for supplies. And with such a small community, contact would be highly likely, and rumours would spread like wildfire in small communities. Link grunted at the thought of having to confront Ilia again after all these years, it would not be a pleasant encounter.

Olaf turned his head slightly and peered over his shoulders, taking in the figure of the adventurer who had rescued them from the Bulblin plight, and noted how he concealed all of his body through the use of a large faded brown cape. The mysterious air seemed to leave Olaf confused, and although he had briefly seen the blonde adventurer's features, he could sense no malicious intent from him. He supposed that every man had their secrets they wanted to keep, and so would keep to that same policy that has done him well throughout the years.

He noticed how Link raised his head - symbolised by the fact that the hood itself rose after being directed at the floor for a good half an hour of travelling through the forest - and was looking directly at him. A warm smile took Olaf's lips as he nodded towards Link before returning his gaze back to the front. Thoughts of how the adventurer was really stranged lingered in the depths of Olaf's mind. There was something so familiar about that person, but he could not for the life of him remember. His mind was not as sharp as his skills, sadly. He shrugged it off and walked on.

Fendrel and James, the two brothers who Link had encountered previously in the forest were talking with the remaining soldier from the encounter with the Bulblins. They were very loud and noisy, and he had wished many times that they would be silenced by some divine act so he could walk in silence. He had after all grown accustomed to traveling around the land alone, and he had most likely taken the peace for granted as a part of his daily life. But still, there was something so unusual about them that made him raise his brow here and there. They seemed alive as one, as a big and happy family.

A family that Link would never have.

"There's the bridge!" Link's ears twitched as he rose his head, looking directly at the wooden bridge that had stood there four years ago when his quest to save Hyrule started. It looked more or less the same, although at closer inspection he could tell that repairs had been done to ensure that the bridge was in fair condition. It felt and smelled like he was home already, and he had not even stepped into the depths of Ordon Village.

"Nayru help me, I am not passing through tha-" James was silenced mid-way as Fendrel playfully pushed his brother onto the bridge and left James to stumble on one foot, a rather feminine scream escaping his lips that made everyone around him raise their eyebrows. James stumbled and desperately caught the ropes on either side and froze until the bridge stopped shaking slightly. Laughter erupted around the soldiers who were not yet on the bridge, and Link swore that James seemed as red as a tomato.

"I-I, I could have died! Why'd you do that- Just forget it..." James scowled angrily as he clung onto the ropes on either side of the bridge and let his hands drag himself across the bridge, refusing once to look down below. Who knows what would of happened if he had looked down. And quite frankly, Link didn't really want to think about it. He followed Olaf as he passed through the bridge and onto the other side. Together, the group made their way across and past the pond, before finally arriving at Ordon Village's outskirts.

It was Link's home. He recognised it instantly, the location of his house had not been changed, and although time had taken its toll, the house still seemed to be of stable condition. Olaf noticed Link's movements and how he seemed to stare at the buildings and their surroundings for a prolonged time, and started to piece together that he may have something to do with the village.

"Alright lads, enough admirin' of the damn tree... house... thing. Let's just get a move on, alright? General Swift's awaitin' fer the report!"

Olaf's words whipped the soldiers back into moving. The group quickly moved down into Ordon Village, leaving Fendrel and James to watch on in admiration of the unique difference between Ordon Village and Castle Town. Link on the other hand was experiencing feels of nostalgia, and quickly felt uncomfortable in the village's presence. He looked towards Olaf interestedly, who was consulting with one of the soldiers stationed near the entrance. After a brief exchange, Olaf nodded and saluted before heading on. The group had dissipated in numbers as the brothers and the soldier vanished into different parts of the village.

Link's eyes instantly fell upon a building to the left of the entrance to Ordon Village, and Link recalled that this was the location of the Sera's Shop, Sera's Sundries. He raised his brow from the cover of his hood as he noticed a young teenager sitting on the rock, with one of his legs pressed against his chest, his arm danglingly aroud it with a twig. The clothing felt familiar, and the red cloth that he wore on his head was of nostalgic qualities, and the way he wielded the twig...

It was Talo.

Alongside Talo was another young teenager, who was smaller than Talo but seemed to have a much more intelligent air about him, like that of an evil mastermind who secretely plotted for world domination. Link only took a few seconds to realise that it was Malo. It had been so long, and they looked so grown up even though only four years had passed. He had wondered what it was like after he had left and the Twilight creatures had left Ordon Village, but this was his first real time returning and-

"Talo, Malo! There you are."

Link slowly turned his head behind him, and noticed the very person he had been wanting to avoid seeing. It was Ilia, and her face was crooked into a frown as she furiously stormed over to the two near the rocks. As she brushed by him, his entire body froze involuntarily and left Link helpless. He wanted to move away from her, but that would look too suspicious. He was afraid that some sudden gust of wind would knock his hood off and reveal his identity, but that was too supersticious. He breathed a huge sigh of relief after she stormed past him, not noticing him and instead tending to Talo and Malo.

Olaf clasped Link's shoulder, drawing his attention and gestured down the village. Link merely nodded in reply and followed Olaf. Although he was gaining distance, he was sure he could hear Talo protesting against what ever it was Ilia was annoyed about. It wouldn't end well, he thought to himself as he proceeded on, relieved that he had been spared from death's embrace. At least for now.

It was not long before the two stumbled upon a tent pitched up at the very corner of the village, near the path that lead to Ordon's Ranch, and that was presumably were the rest of the division remained for the time being. There was no way that the village could accomodate that many people without having some extra houses, and Link noticed that it was almost exactly the same when he came back.

A soft chuckle rang in Link's ears, and he turned to notice that Olaf was the one chuckling. He looked to see what was so hilarious. Link raised one of his eyebrows as he saw the two brothers from earlier having practically sprinted through the village and made their way half the way through to Ordon Ranch. It was just in their nature he thought, for they were rather excited and liked to get things done as soon as possible-

"Lieutenant Olaf! I see you've returned all fine n' dandy!" The voice was deadly unfamiliar, and yet had a rather interesting accent that sounded rather cocky and yet... friendly? An unusual blend he admitted. Olaf broke out into laughter, and Link interestedly turned around on the spot to see who had found Olaf.

Big mistake.

He stared lifelessly at the insignia of one of Hyrule's Generals. It was General Swift, the leader of the division that was the most loyal to the Queen. Link instinctively lowered his head so that the hood would dip, concealing his features. Swift cast him a glance interestedly, but Olaf intervened - earning a silent thanks from Link - and smiled happily.

"Ah, this here is an adventurer who happened t' pass by when we were assaulted by a bunch o' nasty Bulblins. If it weren't fer' him, we wouldn't be here, General. I owe him ma' thanks."

General Swift raised his brow and looked towards Link, who stood still and remained concealed by his cloak. He could feel the Generals eyes piercing through his cover, as if trying to discern who his real identity was, if he was friend or foe, and trying to make sense of his arrival all in one. A scary individual.

"And why does this adventurer don such a cloak, might I ask? Is he injured in any form of way?" General Swift looked towards Olaf expectantly, who's smile soon vanished and turned into a frown.

"No, General. It's just that he does not seem so keen on showing his face or his body for what ever reason. I believe it is right t' trust him though." Olaf nodded and glanced approvingly in Link's direction, who felt a slight sense of relief and a tingle of hope. He could feel General Swift's eyes on his body once again, and felt a slight shiver on his back.

"Alright. No questions on that topic for now then. Anywho, you will have to brief me on the assault later, as we are due to return to Castle Town shortly, and we shall make our leave today."

General Swift seemed to add a note of finality to the words today, as if he would not accept any excuse for them delaying or being late on their return. He understood the neccesity of course.

"I see," Olaf noded in his direction, and saluted him. "If you will excuse me then, General, I have work that I must tend to." General Swift saluted him back and walked off back to the tent that was pitched up and disappeared within it shortly after.

"It's broad as day, but you might as well explore the town and what pleasantries it has to offer. I'll be hangin' around the entrance on guard duty. I'll see you there shortly if you ever need me."

With that, Olaf smiled happily and went off on his way. Link could hear sounds of protests from the tent, and assumed that is where the injured were being treated.

He was now alone again, trapped within the very village that he was raised in. Sighing to himself, he gently made his way back up the village road. Link couldn't help but shake the weird feeling within the village. He knew something was not right, and so he proceeded to make his way up through the road and go to his house.

Intense pain suddenly struck him in the head, causing Link to growl furiously and slowly fall to his hands, his knees soon following so that he was on all fours. His head throbbed in agony with each passing second, a strange rhythm within the painful sensation, and he struggled to shake it off. He heard the sound of crashing silently in his ears.

It all went black.

_A dark figure stood silently beside a wooden bridge, which moaned in protest as the winds pressed against it and moved it from side to side. The figure turned around slowly, his dark cape fluttering behind his fleet as his dark leather boots stood heavily against the ground. For some reason, Link could only make out the lower half of the figure's body, which all seemed to be terribly dark and blurry._

_Although it was a blend of dark and grey elements, Link still noticed the various Bulblins that walked up to him and subsequently kneeled. Why would they kneel, Link thought to himself, and who was this mysterious figure. His thoughts were silenced though as the figure spoke out, their voice sounding eerily familiar._

_"It is time, my friends - it is time to take back what is truly yours, to take back the world of light that was stolen from you by __**them**__. Ride now, fast and true, and show them that you are not forgotten, that you will not be forgotten, and that you will undo all of their creation until they no longer exist in this world. Go now, and set the village of Ordon aflame!"_

_His voice was cold and demanding, and yet the Bulblins shouted in joy and cheers and broke down in the direction opposite the figure. He could hear the figure's dark chuckling as he turned and crossed the bridge._

_He said the village of Ordon. The bridge looked like the one he had just crossed, and the Bulblins looked like the ones he had just faced. And then it hit him._

_They were attacking Ordon._

_Link screamed internally as the pain grew again in intensity, all colour fading from sight as darkness took his vision._

When Link woke, his vision was hazy and he was bent on all fours, struggling to keep up-right. He could feel the protection of his faded brown coat and knew that his features were concealed, and yet a slight ringing sound vibrated within his ears. He softly pressed himself up with one hand, and leant up on one knee as he tried to concentrate on what was in front of him. His eyes suddenly snapped open after the ringing ceased, as if a hazy visor had been removed from his sight. Horror took control of his concealed face.

There were three Bullbos breaking into the village, mercilessly crushing the guard who was unfortunate to be caught under the beast's feet. Another one of them, who he judged to be Olaf as a result of the scream he heard was sent flying backwards, colliding with the ground with a loud shattering sound. It was either his armour or his shoulder. Either way, it was serious, and he noticed that Malo and Talo had dispersed, leaving Ilia to help Olaf to his feet.

The sound of a horn was heard, and Link looked up to see a Bulblin on top of the center Bullbos pull the reins. It then broke out into an all-out charge alone into the center of the road while the other two Bullbos charged in other directions. It was charging to them, to Ilia, to Talo and Malo who were cowering behind him and the helpess soldiers - for he was able to hear their yells of fear - as they watched Ilia. Olaf wearily rose his spear and gripped it tightly, hoping for a miracle to defend him.

Ilia screamed and closed her eyes, turning her head and hiding it behind her hands as the beast charged towards her and Olaf. A fuse that was deep within Link that remained untouched for four years broke, and with that fuse something within his body took control of him. He rose to his feet and leaped forward, catching Olaf by surprise as he passed by him and reached for his back.

"Don't!" Olaf screamed in protest, attempting to reach out and grab him by the shoulder. "You will die-" His voice was silenced as Link reached for the handle at his sheath and drew forth the Master Sword, the light reflecting off of the blade's edge.

The Bulblin knocked an arrow and feebly aimed towards Link, snarling at him as it let loose the arrow and watched as it flew towards him. Link quickly rolled forward and avoided the arrow, his hood falling down to reveal his golden locks. He could hear gasps from behind him, but he did not care. He needed to protect Ordon Village.

He charged forward and then strayed to the side, narrowly avoiding the Bullblos from colliding with him. His adrenaline rush had nearly caused him to charge to his end, but he was able to realise his danger and jump to the side, leaving the beast to charge past him. This gave him the opportunity he needed, his hand gripping the hilt as the Master Sword hummed in delight, tearing through the entire flank of the Bullblos. Link winced as a horrible screeching sound escaped the beast, and turned to watch the Bulblin panic. The boar attempted to regain control over its footing and had fortunately moved away from his friends, stumbling and eventually collapsing in agony. The rider quickly dismounted the beast by jumping off of it, colliding with the ground and grunting as it slowly stood up, its venomous eyes staring at Link as it pulled forth the horn from before and sounded it. The two other riders returned to his side, disappointedly halting their efforts of ransacking the village.

Link slowly rose from his seated position, flicking the Master Sword so that the loose blood sprayed across the ground, and stared intently towards the other two riders, their eyes filled with blood-thirsty desire. It was a three-on-one, and the enemy had large boars that would crush him or impale him. He was out-manned and out-gunned. He would need assistance to defeat them. Being the wielder of the Blade of Evil's bane and a skilled swordsman held no merit at such a disadvantage.

He needed a miracle.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I will be working on the fourth one which shall be released later this week. Remember to R & R! Criticism is much oblidged as it would help me improve my work. Thank you to everyone who has added this story to their notification list, and to all of you awesome people who have reviewed my story so far. I love you all!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Well, here's the fourth chapter of the fanfiction! I hope you enjoy it and I will try to continue my progression of becoming a better writer while I release new chapters.**

** the guy I appreciate that you think my story is great, and I also appreciate your criticism. I would like to blend in realism within this story, and I would like to point out why it is stated he needs a miracle. Two mounted beasts, each with a rider bearing a bow, and a Bulblin with a mace. Link only has the Master Sword, and although he is strong, he does not have a shield nor any defensive clothing, so he is practically naked. Also, who knows if more reinforcements could be coming? Link would easily dispatch of them if he was more prepared, but as for now it will be a struggle. I hope this explains it!**

** Sentinel07 Thank you for your continued support, you are awesome!**

** A Shadow's Lament Lack of equipment mostly, that and he has been rusty for four years! Thanks, I really appreciate your comments. :D And well, that may be true. You will have to find out.  
**

** Silvercrown Thanks for the comments! I hope to capture a good Zelink adventure, so you came to the right place. I would thoroughly recommend A Shadow's Lament and her fanfiction called Conciscus, which is an amazing Zelink story. That and ZeldaRubix's How Zelda Got Her Groove Back, both are wonderfully done, and Reyser's My World for an exceptional AU. This is not Ocarina of Time so she will not make an appearance. Sorry!  
**

* * *

The Bulblin cocked its head to the side, taking in the view of the warrior who stood defiant against him and his kin. Link tightened his grip around the hilt of the Master Sword and charged forward, glancing to either side and noticing that the large boars the Bulblin rode were preparing to charge. The Bulblin scowled and pulled forth the horn it had used previously, sounding it again before drawing its mace and charging. Link could hear the sound of heavy feet against the ground and noticed that the large boars were charging.

As the distance between Link and the Bulblin closed, the Bulblin stared at Link with bloody venomous eyes, stopping and pulling its mace back into a mighty vertical swing, hoping that it could catch and crush Link's shoulder in its path. Seeing the mace coming, Link veered to the side, hearing the sound of rushing air as the Mace fell beside him and brought the Master Sword through the Bulblin's gut. A sharp gasp escaped the beast before it fell limp on his blade. Link looked on with disgust as he pulled the blade back and knocked the beast in front of one of the charging boars before rolling away from the charging menace.

He narrowed his eyes at the little droplets of blood that coated the Master Sword, sighing to himself before looking back to the two Bullbos. One of them had halted, the rider pulling on the reins as it turned the beast around, preparing to charge at him. The other one was still charging past him, where Olaf was.

"Link- Aaaaahhh!"

Ilia clasped her hands over her mouth in terror as she saw the boar charging towards her. Before she could say anything, Olaf had pushed her out of the way, sending her rolling into the ground and out of harm's way. He cast a fierce glance behind him, watching as Talo and Malo nodded quickly and scurried away to find cover behind a nearby building. Olaf stood his ground and raised his spear, gripping it with both hands as he pointed it towards the boar. His eyes narrowed as the beast drew closer.

He needed to think of a plan. He noticed that the Bulblin was knocking an arrow and preparing to let it fly in Olaf's direction. Olaf's grip on the spear tightened, and for a moment it seemed as if he was going to act, before a snarl broke from his lips and he dove out of the boar's path. He grunted as his shoulder connected with the grass on the ground, pressing his spear against the ground and leaning on it. Olaf used his spear to help himself up off the ground, glancing around him in search of the rider who was knocking an arrow. His eyes locked with the figure of the Bulblin on top of the boar, watching helplessly as it struggled to rear the Boar away from the river. After the Boar turned towards him, the Bulblin resumed knocking an arrow and took aim, a cocky smile on its face.

An arrow darted across and struck the Bulblin in the shoulder, earning a blood-curdling cry of pain as the Bulblin dropped the bow and reached for the reins, forcing the boar to charge to the source of the arrow. Olaf tightened his grip on the spear and followed after the boar, noticing that two bowmen were holding their ground foolishly, knocking two more arrows and taking aim. Olaf tried to reach them from behind the boar, his voice being muffled by the mighty stride of the beast.

"Run, you fools!"

They did not waver in their resolve and raised their bows towards the Boar. However, one of the soldiers did not have a firm grip on their bow, his hands shaking slightly from the terror he was witnessing, and he dropped the arrow to the ground. Panicking, the soldier desperately threw himself out of the way and into the river, leaving the other remaining soldier to stand his ground against the rampaging boar.

He did not budge. He stood there and released the arrow, which flew straight into the Boar's eye and caused it to yell in pain. Olaf grit his teeth as the boar's yell of pain was joined by the sound of metal and bone cracking under the weight of the boar, the soldier's scream of terror halted mid-way as his body was left crumbled on the ground. The boar shaked its head desperately, losing control and almost shaking the Bulblin off.

He owed that man his life. He owed him a debt that he would never be able to pay, all simply because he was not able to think of something to deal with the boar when he was faced with danger. Olaf scowled angrily at his own failure and looked around in search of the adventurer who he finally recognised as Link, for the Queen herself had a statue erected in his honour in front of the castle. He noticed the blonde warrior who was standing off against the boar, the Master Sword in hand as he darted to the side to avoid an arrow from the Bulblin.

Link narrowed his eyes and focused on the boar, watching as it broke into another charge and reared towards him, attempting to crush him under its weight. Noticing a nearby large rock, Link stared at the beast and slowly started to step back, watching as its hulking shape grew closer and closer...

The beast roared and flicked its head forward, and at that moment Link pushed his feet against the ground and back flipped over the rock, taking shelter behind it as he heard the Bulblin gasp. Moments later, a loud thud rang in his ears as the Bullbos had crashed head first into the rock. A desperate yelp of pain followed as he could hear the footsteps of a disorientatied Bullbos. Gripping the Master Sword firmly by the hilt, Link turned around and stepped onto the rock, locking eyes with the Bulblin who desperately reached for its bow.

Link used the rock to leap off towards the Bulblin, gritting his teeth as it raised its bow and desperately tried to knock an arrow. Link reached the creature before it had the chance, swinging his blade in a horizontal slice and breaking the bow and delivering a fatal wound to the Bulblin's chest. Link braced himself as he collided against the Bulblin and sent it flying into the ground, presumably dead from the previous injuries.

As he struggled to balance himself on top of the steed, he noticed that the boar was shaking its head in a frenzy and was about to charge in a blind rage. Fearing for the safety of anyone near by and for the conditions of the buildings, he grasped the reins and pulled them up, causing a distraught Boar to raise its front legs. Using this, he leaned forward on top of the boar and brought the Master Sword face down into its head, silencing it and drawing the blade out.

The boar slowly began to fall to one side. Link pressed his feet against the boar and pushed himself away, gritting his teeth as his shoulder connected with the ground. He broke into a roll before standing up, looking to make sure that the Boar had indeed fell over before returning his attention to Olaf, who was struggling to keep the injured Boar at hand. He sprinted towards the veteran, hoping to make it before anything happened.

Olaf was struggling to ward off the beast, which threatened to break into a charge at any moment. The pain of the arrow only added to its anger, rearing its head from side to side in frantic pain. Olaf was swaying from side to side, looking for an opening. Finally, he jumped forward and drove the spear into the Boar's flank, earning a loud roar of agony as the Boar swung its head desperately towards him. Olaf pulled on the spear and brought it out, trying to roll out of the way of its head. He was too slow and the boar's head collided with Olaf, a yell of pain escaping his lips as he was thrown mercilessly into the ground.

"Olaf!" Link's voice caught the attention of the Boar, which swung its head around to catch sight of Link within its vision. Link snarled as the Boar broke into a charge in his direction, attempting to deliver the same fate as the one before him. Link looked around, searching for an answer to the threat that was quickly making its way to him. His grip on the hilt of his blade tightened as he strayed to the side, watching as the boar followed his changes with murderous intent.

"Forgive me, Sera," he muttered as he thought the Boar was close enough, bracing himself as he dove to the side and rolled against the ground. The Boar charged straight into the shop, leaving a large dent in its wooden exterior before stumbling backwards and falling to the ground. The shop had taken a beating, but did not yield to the Boar, which was struggling to get up before Link darted towards it and dealt the finishing blow.

He tiredly raised one of his hands and pushed his thick golden locks out of his eyes, wiping away the sweat beads that formed from on his forehead. Taking a firm grip of the hilt with both of his hands, he grunted as he pressed one of his foot - the other firmly pressed against the ground in assurance - against the large corpse and drew the blade out from its skull. Scarlet droplets of blood stained the Master Sword, forcing Link to flick the Master Sword so that the droplets of blood showered the ground. After a few seconds, he raised the blade overhead, careful to avoid any renegade drops as he lowered it back into his sheath.

Link instantly turned around and darted towards the river, where Olaf had faced off against the Boar and was defeated. His body was fatigued from all the fighting, and yet the only thing that was on his mind was the state of the veteran he had met in the forests. He had took a great shine to the man after all. Bystanders had gathered around the spectacle, gasping at both the sight of the injured Hylian, and the revelation of the adventurer's identity.

Olaf growled as he slowly pressed his hands against the ground, realising that his entire body was soaked with water as he rose. He gently raised one of his arms, his eyes looking at the water droplets that fell to the earth. Shaking his head for a brief moment turned out to be a bad idea, as he raised both of his hands to his head and froze for a moment. He had suffered faint wounds to the body, that much he could feel, but also felt rather drained. His ears twitched at the sound of Link's voice, lowering his hands from his head and looking to his general direction.

"Olaf!" Link halted directly in front of the man, wiping his forehead clean with his arm. He had a foolish grin on his lips regardless of what had happened. He was a remarkable man, Olaf thought.

"I am glad to see you are alright," Link skeptically looked towards the veteran, his eyes full of concern. Olaf simply raised his hands in protest, smirking all the while at the worry in his eyes. "I was worried that you had been severely injured, and that does not seem to be the case."

Olaf was caught off guard as Link flashed a bright smile towards him, relief clear on his face. He merely raised an eyebrow at the thought.

"Thanks kiddo... That was some fightin' there, o' mighty Hero of Twilight." The last words seemed to echo silently within Link's head, causing him to wince slightly in discomfort.

"I... I hope you understand, that I did not want word of my arrival to spread so soon... It would cause a lot of trouble."

Olaf merely shrugged at the comment. "To each their own, I guess. But you do not need to worry, I am not one for rumours." He smirked softly, causing Link to tentitively raise an eyebrow.

"That is, until alcohol reaches my lips."

The two of them shared a brief moment of joy, laughter ringing in the air. As they both calmed down, Link looked around to see that the inhabitants - which had truely grown in number it seemed - were all gathered around him. His smile was replaced by a frown, realising the pressure that was on his shoulders when he had to explain this to everyone.

And then there is Zelda.

Oh boy, Link was not looking forward to meeting her in a long time. He honestly was not sure if she would jump for joy or slap the living daylights out of him. He hoped that it would be the former, but that seemed to willow away into rejection with each passing second. He simply sighed to himself, realising that sooner or later, he would have to face penance for what he did.

The sound of clapping filled the air, causing both Link and Olaf to look curiously around them in an attempt to find the source of applause.

"A fine showing, Hero of Twilight," General Swift appeared through a gap in the crowd, joined by two soldiers who tightly gripped their spears. Link could see that they were nervous. It was easily readable from their eyes, their face, and how they carried themselves. War has its consequences on everyone, he thought to himself.

"And you, Lieutenant Olaf, what a splendid display against that uncanny beast! Although I think you may not exactly be in tip-top shape...?" The General cast a quizzical look towards Olaf, who raised both of his hands in protest.

"Ney' General. I am perfectly fine, just worn out and with cuts n' bruises. I'll live though." Olaf nodded as if to stress his point, earning a respecting smile from Swift himself. Link felt both the eyes of the General and the Veteran return to him, and instantly felt a wave of discomfort wash over him.

"Regardless, I knew there was something so familiar about you. Having past that statue that her majesty erupted at the front of the castle makes it clear. And to think I walked past that nearly every day and never recognised you." General Swift smirked to himself, and Link chuckled nervously, raising his hand to the back of his head and softly rubbing his hair.

"Wait," Link stared towards General Swift, who merely raised a brow. "You mentioned a statue? Zel-" Link stopped as he could see the curious looks spread across the soldiers faces. "Her majesty erected a statue in my name?"

"Why yes she did." General Swift nodded in acknowledgement. "And she did it a week after you disappeared, might I add. In memory of the one who saved Hyrule was her very own words."

At that very moment, hope flashed through Link's eyes. Maybe there was a chance, however small and bewildered, that Zelda still hold affection towards him. Maybe there was a possibility that he could be forgiven by her, and maybe... Just maybe. He might be able to reconcile with her and go on adventures- But she's the Queen.

Yes. He had forgotten that while he was gone, Hyrule needed someone to guide them to an era of prosperity and peace. She had vanished from any form of reach. There is no way that she could spare time to see him with her most likely busy schedule. Link discarded the thoughts and shaked his head. He refused to believe such thoughts, and clung childishly to the single strand of hope that remained.

"Link," General Swift's voice drew him out of his daze. "We are riding out shortly, so you are welcome to join us on our return to Castle Town. I believe there is things you have yet to clear up with some villagers though." Link nodded sheepishly at that comment. He was treading a thin silver lining with Ilia, and who knows how she would react? A small smile appeared on the General's lips as he spoke.

"I take that as a yes, you will take me up on my offer." Link nodded in agreement, causing the smile to widen ever so slightly. "There is but one problem." Link raised his brow at that comment. What problem could there possibly be.

"Just look at yourself," the General sighed casually, rolling his eyes as he took in the sight Link was in. "You need to get some new clothes, clean up and stock up on supplies."

Actually, when Link thought about it, he had been wearing the same old clothes for a long time now. Longer than he wanted to imagine. That, and he barely had any supplies remaining, which was his original purpose for coming to Ordon Village. Yet here he was, being pampered by the General of Hyrule's most trusted division himself, and preparing to ride off back to Castle Town.

Then rememberance flashed acrossed Link's eyes.

"Sir," General Swift raised a brow at the formalities.

"Please, call me Swift. You've saved Hyrule and done more for us than we could ever do for you." Link smiled warmly at Swift, who nodded in response. There was the slight hint of a smile at the corners of his lips, but Swift did well to keep such things concealed in public.

"I would like to check around to see if my old friend is still here." Link looked pleadingly towards Swift, hoping there would be enough time still available for him.

"Your old friend," Swift raised a brow quizzicaly, before nodding. "I see. And what is their name?"

"Epona. She was my trusted steed, and-"

"She's still here, _Link_." Link froze at the sound of the voice. It could only belong to one person, and how she made his name roll harshly off her tongue was nostalgic. He slowly turned around, fear apparent in his eyes as he took in the full figure of the girl before him. All previous emotions of joy, happiness and content had been washed away in a river of discomfort.

"Ilia..."

* * *

_Her vision was blurry and her hearing distorted, all of her senses had been disabled and left her vulnerable to what ever was happening. She groaned softly as she could feel the unknown strain lift from her body, all five of her senses colliding with her mind at once. Her eyes darted wide open as she realised she was at the throne room, surrounded by many guards. Zelda rested her sights on one of the soldiers present in the middle of the room, his spear heading the scattered formation the soldiers had formed. She noticed his chestnut hair that struggled to get loose through the constraints of his helmet. It was Olaf, she realised. And the nostalgia of the situation swarmed her mind and body, leaving her weak and helpless - the exact things she did not want to be.  
_

_He jumped back, quickly raising his shield and taking cover behind it. The beast lunged forward and jumped towards him, extending its arms and trying to swing its claws towards him. Drawing his sword, he drove it through the creature mid-air and watched as it dispersed into dust. He was too slow to retaliate as another creature dived onto him, horrifying sounds filling the room._

_"We're under attack!"_

_Left and right, soldiers were desperately trying to hold off the savage beasts that were assailing them. Their attempts were futile as they were being overtaken by the sheer numbers and ferocious attacks of their opponents. One of the soldiers jumped back and blocked one of the creature's attempts at clawing him, hearing it shriek in pain as its claws shattered against his metal shield. He ran his spear through its chest and watched from the safety of his helmet as the creature dispersed into dust._

_"Quickly, defend her majesty! To arms-" He was silenced as one of the creatures collided against his shield, sending him thrown backwards towards the staircase. He struggled to maintain even footing, his metal greaves kicking up and moving the red carpet beneath him as he tried to stand. A second creature charged him and sent him flying to the ground, causing him to drop his sword and reach for his belt, staring with horror into its bloody red eyes. He raised his shield to block its claws, and winced as his shield was knocked aside. He pulled forth his dagger and lunged it deep into the creature, breathing a heavy sigh of relief as it soon followed the fate of its brothers._

_"Rally to me, warriors!" His voice sounded across the room as he pressed himself from the ground, lifting his sword and pointing it in front of him, preparing for any of the creatures. Various soldiers disengaged and fled back to join him, forming a line in the middle of the room. After moments of silence, the creatures who had remained still burst into a frenzy, charging towards the line while echoing monstrous sounds._

_Behind all of the commotion, Zelda tightly gripped the blade in her hand, gasping at the events that were unfolding in front of her. One of the guards to her side looked towards her with concern._

_"Have faith, your majesty. Lieutenant Olaf will be able to hold them beasts off, I am sure of it!" _

_She gently nodded at his words, watching as horrendous sounds and the screams of her soldiers tore through the air when both sides met. She was helpless yet again, unable to fight against the darkness that was threatening her own soldiers - people who were throwing their lives away for her without a second thought. _

_Olaf strafed to the side and sliced his blade at one of the creatures, watching it dissipate in two. He ducked and narrowly avoided having half of his helmet disfigured as he slammed his elbow into the new opponent, running his blade through it shortly after and stepping back._

_He knew they were losing._

_The creatures seemed to appear in endless number, and the defensive line drew thinner and was forced back further as more and more of the soldiers lost their lives in defense of their Queen. Olaf had sustained various wounds, his armour being unable to protect him against the relentless strikes of the blood-thirsty creatures._

_"Hold on, we can win this- To me, James, to me!"_

_All of the creatures suddenly halted their advances and jumped back, scattering into an odd formation. As quickly as his confused expression took his face, it was replaced with dread and fear as Olaf heard the sound of clapping from across the distance. A lone dark figure was steadily walking on the red carpet in the centre of the room, heading towards the stiarcase._

_"A futile and wasted effort..." The dark figured grew closer, the sound of his hands clapping ringing in Olaf's ears as he drew nearer. A chill crept up his spine as the figure spoke out towards everyone in the room, hints of supreme madness in his eyes.  
_

_"The crossroads of destiny sound again, Princess... Or should I say Queen?" A sly smirk appeared on his lips as he drew closer. That's right, she thought. The event was familiar to her, as it bore an eerily similiar resemblance to the attack Zant had launched on the castle four years ago. And yet this person was not the false King, but there was an air of nostalgia around him that greatly confused Zelda. She squinted her eyes at the figure, trying to make out his identity and to come to terms with the situation.  
_

_And then it hit her._

_Horror filled her eyes, her eyes widening in fear as she took in the figure in front of her. The dark cape that hung loosely down behind him, his tainted and corrupted eyes staring back at her._

_"Y-You... It- It can't be." Zelda stammered with each passing word, feeling an immeasurable sense of pain washing over her as she realised she was about to lose her kingdom for the second time. No, it could not happen. She could not let it end like this. She had put so much effort into her kingdom, her people, into restoring the fables of Hyrule itself and to bring her kingdom back to the glory it once was. Things had been sacrificed, lives had been cost. She worked steadily to see that they brought about the era of a new Hyrule; a Hyrule of peace, where no fear took to the hearts of their spirits. Thier lives had not been in vain.  
_

_So why did it have to end like this?_

_A menacing smile touched the figure's lips as he raised both of his arms outwards, opening his hands as if he were balancing something fragile and delicate in either hand. And then she understood._

_He was juggling fate; the fate of her and her kingdom, hand in hand._

_"Surrender, or die."_

_He clenched both of his hands into fists, sending her eyes closing in fear as she prepared for the inevitable fate that would consume both her and her people. The sound of battle-cries filled her ears as the remaining soldiers charged forth, striving to defend what they all knew and loved. She raised her hands softly, raising her blade in eternal defiance against darkness. She would not make the same decision, the same mistake that she did four years ago. She would stand against all evil.  
_

_The dark figure merely cocked an eyebrow as he stepped forward, moving his cloak aside with the flick of his hand. His words echoed continously within the depths of her mind.  
_

_"Futile... For I am the King of all, the ruler of the shadows," A twisted smile began to form on his lips.  
_

_"I am Umbra."  
_

* * *

Her eyes opened instantly as she pulled her head away from the wooden desk, looking around suspiciously for a few moments before she started to calmed down, feeling the sweat droplets that gradually form on her forehead. She peered towards the window, letting out a relaxed sigh as she was greeted by the morning sun. It was just a dream, she said to herself.

Or was it just that. She was not sure if it was a dream or not, for she felt all five of her senses, and her heart was clutched by the dark grasp of fear and despair. She wrestled with the concept internally for a few minutes, the beads of sweat increasing in intensity on her forehead as she struggled to come to terms with the idea. She concluded that it could of been a vision of the future, although how or why would be nearly unexplainable for now.

Zelda raised her hand and gently wiped away the sweat from her face, returning her attention to the work that was scattered in front of her. She came to the conclusion that she had fallen asleep during her work in the study, and giggled softly at the thought. She reached for the quill that rested in the ink pot, pulling it out and signing the nearest paper that she could find, before resting the quill away and moving the paper to the side.

As she was about to start on the next one, her ears twitched as she heard soft knocking on the door. She called for the person to come in, turning her head and peering curiously towards the door. Zelda wagered a half-hearted guess that it was Sylvia.

To her surprise, a maiden answered her call and opened the door, revealing a tray of a mug with steaming tea and a plate of fruit. She raised one of her eyebrows as she noticed that Sylvia was not here, and smiled appreciatively towards the maid as she made space for the tray on the table.

"Thank you," Zelda nodded, curling her fingers tentatively around the red apple and raising it to her lips. After a brief moment of indulgement, she turned her attention to the maid who's hands nervously gripped the hem of her skirt. A grin tugged at the corner of her lips as she nodded, watching as the Maid turned her back and departed from the room in silence.

Returning her gaze to the tray, she noticed that a letter had been left on the tray. She curiously lifted the letter and undid the seal, pulling forth its contents and scanning the letter with interest.

_Your majesty, I apologise for not being able_

_to deliver your breakfast today. I hope you_

_have slept well and managed to complete_

_your work. I have been asked to escort one_

_of our soldiers to the throne room, where he_

_shall see you at eleven o'clock to report._

_Sylvia H. L._

She looked towards the clock that was hung loosely on the wall above the door, noticing that it was half past ten. She shrugged softly to herself as she continued to pick away at breakfast. It would only take her five more minutes at most to finish up her meal and another five to finish up the letters that remained. That left her twenty minutes to navigate her way to the throne room. Luckily, the study was positioned nearby to the throne room, so she would have no trouble making it there on time. She had become familiar with the route to the throne room and other important areas.

After finishing up breakfast and signing the letters, she sighed and leaned back against the chair, looking towards the clock expectantly. It was ten thirty-eight, and her prediction had served her correct for the most part. She rose from the chair and looked towards a mirror behind her, admiring her reflection for a moment as she nodded in approval at herself. Turning, she set for the door and greeted the soldiers who were stationed outside, departing for the throne room.

As she came upon the large wooden door that guarded the entrance to the throne room, the guards who were stationed there stood to attention at her arrival. Within seconds, the door started to groan in protest as it slowly started to open inwardly, revealing a red carpet that lead all the way up to a staircase. At the top of the considerably large staircase was her throne. The throne that belonged to Hyrule's royal family and the ruler of Hyrule. She was initially reluctant to take her place as the next reigning Queen, but knew that it was her duty and her purpose in life. She thanked the soldiers before moving forward and entering the throne room.

It was her purpose of life... Such words bore a weight that she struggled to deal with. She felt that there was always that little something lacking, that little bit of excitement and that adventure. It was a mixture of elements that made her question sometimes if she was truly whole.

Large glass pane windows were situated in equal numbers on either side of the walls, wooden torches spread in between each of the windows themselves. The sun seemed to reflect off of the pure white stone that formed the interior of the room. As she drew closer to the staircase, two smaller thrones - one sat at each side of her own - came into her sight. Those thrones that were prepared for her children, the inevitable prince and princess of the kingdom. She had rejected every single suitor that had come to try and claim her hand in marriage, leaving all the nobles puzzled and with the sole remaining question - will she ever give birth to an heir. The thought appauled her, but she knew it would be a task that she would have to tackle eventually.

She ascended the staircase in peace, each of the guards stationed within the room stood to alert, an air of courage about them when they looked with admiration to their Queen. Many would say that she was the symbol of purity, her radiance made brighter by the stalwart fortress that she commanded Hyrule from. If asked about her progres as a ruler during her first year, there would be some doubt as to her ability. Now she has proven herself more than capable. She had proven herself to and gained the love and support of the people, her people. Hyrule's people.

Upon reaching the throne, she slowly descended into its cold embrace, preparing herself for the day that was at hand and for the burden of her duty as the sole ruler of Hyrule. Her fingers spread softly across the cold surface of the arms of the throne, a smile taking her lips to the familiarity of it. Although it had been lost four years ago, she had tried to remodel the furniture and certain parts of the house to be the same. The throne and its room was one of them.

"Your majesty," Her gaze returned to the centre of the room, where a soldier was kneeling before her on the middle of the red carpet. She smiled and nodded towards him, causing him to stand up both tall and proud.

"One of the soldiers from the 21st Royal Lanayru Division arrived early this morning bearing a report for you. He said it was urgent, and that he was sent ahead by General Swift. With your permission, we will bring him through."

Zelda allowed herself a moment to contemplate what had just been said. General Swift had sent her a message that stated he would arrive within two days, and sent a soldier ahead to bear a report. For a person of his caliber, he would not send someone with a report if it was not a dire situation. For this matter alone, she nodded in approval towards the soldier.

"Yes," Her voice sounded across the throne room, resonating with diligence and wisdom, a gentle smile on her lips as she looked towards him.

"Bring him in."

The man nodded and turned, disappearing through the door that she had passed through. After a few minutes of waiting and speculation, she noticed two men pass through the door. She recognised one of them as the soldier who delivered the report, but the other man was new to her. As he stepped forward through the room, he lowered himself to one knee and allowed himself one glance at the Queen, who simply raised an eyebrow.

"And you are?" Zelda focused on the young man in front of her, noticing that he was in his early twenties at the very least. His jet black hair had been combed to two sides, revealing the parting that ran through his thick hair. He was wearing a plain black shirt that clung loosely to his chest, and a pair of black trousers. The standard military outfit's boots covered up parts of his trousers. He was a black enthusiast in short. She smirked softly at the realisation.

He raised his head slightly, his deep forest green eyes meeting with her own. A small smile appeared on his face.

"I am Fendrel Connington, brother of James Connington," His smile grew wider at the mention of his brother, which strangely amused Zelda. A sense of courage seemed to add to his voice as he spoke. "We are both in service of Lanayru's finest division, your majesty."

Zelda raised her brow at those words.

"I assume you refer to the 21st Royal Lanayru Division, yes?" Fendrel nodded in response, leaving Zelda to giggle softly to herself. She hoped it was out of ear shot, although with how words seemed to echo through the room, her voice was most likely carried as well.

Fendrel's smile disappeared as his expression suddenly became more serious.

"General Swift lead our division through the Faron Woods, where we encountered minimal skirmishes with roaming Bulblin groups," Zelda furrowed her brow at the mentioning of roaming Bulblin groups. It was such unusual behaviour for such unintelligent creatures, she thought. A soft sigh escaped her lips.

"Additionally, General Swift ordered me, my brother and Lieutenant Olaf alongside four more soldiers to explore the woods and find any possible sources of Bulblin infestation." He sighed to himself as he recalled the moment, shaking his head softly to regain his trail of thoughts.

"Our scouting party was ambushed by atleast a dozen or so Bulblins."

Zelda blinked, struggling to take in what he had just said. Bulblins had ambushed some of Hyrule's most trained soldiers? Such unintelligent creatures like the Bulblins should not be capable of those exploits without a leader.

"Continue on, Fendrel." She smiled at him and nodded in approval, her fingers intertwining on her lap as she contemplated his tale.

"Additionally, we encountered a strange adventurer who saved us from the Bulblins." Fendrel contemplated telling Zelda the truth about his identity as he noticed that his Queen was lost in thought. She nodded shortly afterwards, prompting him to continue.

"We returned to Ordon Village to join up with the rest of the division and return our findings. That's when we were attacked by three Bulblin riding atop a Bullbos." Zelda's eyes widened in alarm, her fingers gently gripping the ends of the throne's arms.

Bulblins were launching attacks on civilised areas, she thought to herself. The kingdom was not safe, there is no way they would do such a thing on their own. Her thoughts were interrupted when Fendrel spoke again.

"They were moving rather tactically, too, and seemed to be skilled. At boar handling, of course. From what I heard, they had a rubbish aim." A soft smirk took his lips. Zelda found it amazing how he found humour in such a dark situation, but she dismissed that thought for now. No where in Hyrule is safe, which meant that she would have to double the guards again in all villages and-

"Also..." Zelda looked down towards him confusedly.

"Yes?" Her eyes peered down towards Fendrel like a hawk awaiting its prey, causing Fendrel to feel uncomfortable.

"We were saved by the adventurer who passed us by in the forest."

Zelda furrowed her brow and pondered on what had just been said. For an adventurer to be able to handle and defeat three Bulblin and their Bullbos, they had to be very skilled. She returned her hands to the arms of her throne, relaxing her fingers over the cold metal.

"Tell me," She spoke out towards Fendrel. "How exactly did this adventurer you speak of defeat them? Did they use magic?"

Fendrel winced at her request, something Zelda noticed easily. He took a deep breath to clear his mind before he looked towards the throne, inadvertedly avoiding Zelda's own eyes.

"They..." He coughed to clear his throat. "He fought with such speed and accuracy that it was a sight to behold, I am told. He was a true strategist." Zelda nodded to herself. That seemed like a hard way to deal with the enemies at the time without magic. But what did he fight with if he did resort to magic-"

"And he fought with the Master Sword."

Silence fell on the room for a few seconds. Zelda seemed to remain mute on her throne, her body frozen in time itself as she contemplated what he had just said. The words 'Master Sword' rang endlessly in her head. And then she blinked, her fingers tensing on the throne's arms before she threw herself up, startling many of the soldiers - who were exchanging curious glances from across the room - as she burst into an uproar.

"The Master Sword? He used the Master Sword!" Fendrel retreated slightly, kneeling even closer onto the ground. He was starting to regret mentioning that little detail. He was a clutz when it came to talking, but he was never this bad. Why was he so misfortunate, he moaned to himself before he was silenced by the thunder that was Zelda's voice.

"What was his appearance like- his hair, was his hair blonde? And his eyes!" Zelda seemed restless as she assaulted Fendrel with what could of been a barrage of questions, giving the man no room to breath or contemplate the questions given. After a few minutes, Zelda calmed herself down and awaited a response from Fendrel, who was struggling to cope with his nerves.

"His hair was blonde yes, and his eyes were blue. A girl at the village called him by the Hero of Twilight's given name." Fendrel seemed to swallow on his words as he spoke, and time seemed to slow down for the both of them.

"Link."

Zelda furrowed her brow at the mentioning of **his** name. It had been four years, and he had returned to her kingdom without giving her any warning or mention. A wave of discomfort washed over her face as she juggled with many ideas from the safety of her mind. What if he had intended to slip away unnoticed and never talk to her. Did he even like her at all, to be fair. Or did he resent her in any form of way. Those questions rolled endlessly in her mind until she was saved by one of her soldiers.

"Your majesty," concern was embedded into his words, causing a weary smile to tug at her lips. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I am fine, thank you." Zelda nodded towards the soldier, who tightened his grip on the spear and looked back towards Fendrel. Zelda soon followed, locking eyes briefly with Fendrel before the man lowered his head.

"I thank you for your services to Hyrule, Fendrel. When the division returns, you will all be rewarded for your efforts." She smiled and raised a hand, gesturing to the door behind him.

"You may take your leave."

Fendrel slowly rose from the ground, nodding abruptly towards Zelda before he turned on his heels, feeling a sensation of relief as he made for the door. He was struggling to control his nerves, something he had never been like before. He was always a loud person who rejoiced in words, but he felt as if she had just stared into his very soul, seeing into the deepest and darkest secrets that he harbored close to his heart. Shaking those memories out of his head, he left Zelda to contemplate on his report within deep silence, as the sounding of the door closing echoed throughout the throne.

"Garus," Zelda looked to her left, causing the soldier to tighten his grip on his spear. "I would like you to send message ahead to the division and check to see if Link has come with them."

Garus nodded and departed from the throne room, leaving Zelda to muse over her emotions.

"Link," she whispered to herself, her eyes wandering to the nearest glass pane.

"So you've finally returned home..."

* * *

**Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! Boy, each chapter keeps getting bigger (and hopefully better)! Remember to R & R, and if you have any criticism then don't be afraid to hit me with a bludgeon via PM or send me a review about it. Thanks again for reading, you are all awesome!**


End file.
